Another round of missile strikes has been completed on Houthi targets in Yemen, with allied support from Australia and Canada. This is the eighth retaliatory strike against the Houthi militia group which has caused undeniable havoc in the Red Sea, as the battle continues.
Strikes are in retaliation to Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis who are responsible for the military operation against the numerous commercial tanker making their way from Asia to Europe.
These activities by the Houthi Islamic terror group are to show signs of solidarity with the Hamas led Palestinians. The latest in a series of military campaigns to protest against Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
The Islamic Terror group targets tankers moving through the region with a military aggression.
Yehia Sareea a leading spokesperson for the group vowed that the Houthis would continue blocking ships passing through the Bab-el-Mandeb heading to Israeli ports.
The Houthis Terror Group will not stop until Israel allows the entry of food and medical aid into the Gaza Strip. Gaza is located more than 1,000 miles from the Houthi seat of power in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital.
The first series of attacks on the tankers by the Houthi terror group, started with a Norwegian Tanker Strinda (pictured above) that took place about 60 nautical miles (111km) north of the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
This waterway connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden at about 2100 GMT, a U.S. official confirmed. After the attack it was confirmed the Strinda was able to move with its own power, hours after the attack.
“There were no U.S. ships in the vicinity at the time of the attack, but the (U.S. Navy destroyer) USS Mason responded to the M/T Strinda’s mayday call and is currently rendering assistance,” the U.S. military’s Central Command, which oversees American forces in the Middle East, said in a statement posted on social media platform X.
The terror attacks often cause fires and some damage on the ships but rarely any casualties, the U.S. military confirmed in a public statement.
The Houthi representative said that the Islamic Terror group will manage to obstruct the passage of several ships in a show if defiance against Israel and allied forces, acting in support of the Palestinians.
The Houthis have delved deep into the Israel-Hamas conflict — which has spread around the Middle East since the horrendous Islamic terror attacks caused by Hamas on Israel on Oct. 7. Now the world is witnessing Houthi terror attacks on shippings vessels in vital shipping lanes as well as drones and missiles fired at Israel itself.
Early December 2023, the Houthis Terror Group claimed they would target all ships heading to Israel, regardless of their nationality, and warned international shipping companies against shipping to Israeli ports. The first ship attacked was a Norwegian based chemical tanker, owned by Mowinckel Chemical Tankers.
Many of the ships are loaded with various goods including vegetable oils biofuels, gas supplies, and other goods often originating in Asia nd headed for Europe. In this case the tanker was filled with goods in Malaysia, and headed for Venice, Italy, according to data logs from ship-tracking firm Kpler showed.
Many of the Houthi attacks on ships entering the region have no ties to Israel, and are headed towards various ports in Europe or the Middle East.
The Houthis are one of several Islamic Terror groups in the Iran-aligned “Axis of Resistance” that have been taking aim at Israeli and U.S. targets since their Palestinian ally Hamas attacked Israel.
During the first week of December, three commercial vessels have come under attack in international waters, prompting a U.S. Navy destroyer to intervene.
The Houthis also seized a British-owned cargo ship last month that had connections to an Israeli company. The United States and Britain have condemned the attacks on ships, blaming Iran for its role in supporting the Houthis Terror Group. Tehran says its allies make their decisions independently.
Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister said he was very worried about the escalating violence and said the kingdom believes in freedom of navigation in the Red Sea. Saudi officials have asked the United States to show restraint in responding to the Islamic Terror attacks. This is in an attempt to de-escalate tensions in the region.
Over 400 commercial vessels move through the Southern Red Sea region at any period in time, causing many to re-route to avoid the conflict. As a result of the Houthi attacks, tankers and shipping companies will divert ships around Africa to prevent future Islamic Terror attacks. Shipping times and shipping costs have increased significantly as a result of the attacks, with no end in fighting in sight.
