The U.S. Navy intercepted a drone and a ballistic missile fired by Houthi rebels in Yemen in the southern Red Sea on Thursday, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
“No ships in the area were damaged and no injuries were reported,” CENTCOM said in a statement on Twitter. “This is the 22nd attempt by the Houthis to attack international ships since October 19.”
The United States also announced new sanctions against Houthi-linked individuals and entities in Yemen and Turkey on Thursday in response to the attacks.
The Houthis have launched a series of drone and missile attacks against ships they say are “linked to Israel,” in attacks that threaten to disrupt global trade.
The Houthis have said they will continue the attacks until enough food and medicine enters the Gaza Strip, which is under a full Israeli blockade in response to a major rocket barrage by Hamas on October 7.
Iran has acknowledged providing political support to the Houthis, who have been fighting a war against the internationally recognized Yemeni government since 2014. However, Tehran denies providing them with military equipment or encouraging them to attack ships in the Bab al-Mandab strait.
The efforts by U.S. forces to secure navigation in the Red Sea have led many global shipping companies to begin gradually resuming operations there.
Danish shipping company Maersk announced on Thursday that it would resume shipping through the Red Sea, and French shipping company CMA CGM joined efforts to resume crossing the Red Sea, nearly two weeks after it suspended voyages due to Houthi attacks.
Several shipping companies, including Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk, had chosen to take an alternate route around Cape Horn, fearing their ships would be blocked. The new alternate route adds about 3,500 nautical miles to the journey, making it more expensive.
The international maritime coalition, led by the United States, is facing many challenges. Spanish newspaper El País reported that Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is opposed to the use of European Union naval forces under the umbrella of the “Prosperity Sentinel” coalition against the Houthi group.
Several countries in the region, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, have also decided to withdraw from the maritime coalition, which came as a shock to the United States.
