Yemen’s Houthi militants launched attacks on two US vessels and an Israeli ship, marking the first such incident in over two weeks, according to the group’s military spokesperson Yahya Sarea.
The targeted ships include the US ship Maersk Yorktown in the Gulf of Aden and an American destroyer, along with the Israeli vessel MSC Veracruz in the Indian Ocean, as reported by Sarea in a televised address.
Confirmation of the attack came from American authorities, who stated that US-led coalition forces intercepted four drones and an anti-ship missile launched by the Houthis off the coast of Yemen.
In a statement issued on X (formerly Twitter), the US Central Command (CENTCOM) revealed that a coalition vessel successfully neutralized an anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) launched from Houthi-controlled areas, citing an imminent threat to US, coalition, and merchant vessels in the region.
The Houthis have been targeting ships in the Red Sea region since November, citing solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Sarea reiterated the group’s commitment to preventing Israeli and US navigation in the Red and Arabian Seas, as well as the Indian Ocean.
Additionally, British maritime security firm Ambrey reported an incident southwest of Aden, an area frequently targeted by the Houthis, where a vessel observed an explosion in the water approximately 72 nautical miles east-southeast of Djibouti.
These attacks have disrupted global shipping routes through the Suez Canal, compelling companies to opt for longer and costlier journeys around southern Africa. In response, the United States and Britain have conducted strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.
