Iran-backed Houthis Launch Complex Attack on Ships in Red Sea: US-led Coalition Warns of Consequences

The attack came a week after a US-led coalition of 12 nations warned the Houthis of consequences if they did not immediately end shelling of merchant ships.

The Iran-backed Houthis have said they are attacking ships in the Red Sea in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel has been fighting the militant group Hamas for three months.

“The Iranian-backed Houthis launched a complex attack with Iranian-developed one-way attack drones, anti-ship cruise missiles and an anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in the southern Red Sea,” the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

The drones and missiles were shot down by F/A-18 warplanes from the US aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower, as well as one British and three US destroyers, CENTCOM said, adding that no injuries or damage were reported.

The U.S. launched a multinational naval force in December to protect ships in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks, which threaten the transit route through which 12 percent of global trade is carried.

The Houthis say they are attacking ships linked to Israel, but the commander of US naval forces in the Middle East, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, said last week that dozens of countries have been linked to the ships attacked by the Houthis.

2024-01-10 06:25:56
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