Three commercial ships hit by missiles in Houthi attack in Red Sea

Dubai: Ballistics missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck three commercial ships in the Red Sea, while a US warship shot down three drones in self-defence during the hours-long assault, the US military said. The Iranian-backed Houthis claimed two of the attacks.

The strikes on Sunday (Monday AEDT) escalated in a series of maritime attacks in the Middle East linked to the Israel-Hamas war, as multiple vessels found themselves in the crosshairs for the first time in the conflict.

A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters, said the attack began about 10am in Sanaa, Yemen, and had gone on for several hours.Credit: AP

The US vowed to “consider all appropriate responses” after the attack, specifically calling out Iran.

“These attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security,” the US military’s Central Command said in a statement.

“They have jeopardised the lives of international crews representing multiple countries around the world. We also have every reason to believe that these attacks, while launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran.”

The USS Carney, a Navy destroyer, detected a ballistic missile fired from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen at the Bahamas-flagged bulk carrier Unity Explorer. The missile hit near the ship, the US said. Shortly afterwards, the Carney shot down a drone headed its way, although it’s not clear if the destroyer was the target, Central Command said.

About 30 minutes later, the Unity Explorer was hit by a missile. While responding to its distress call, the Carney shot down another incoming drone. Central Command said the Unity Explorer sustained minor damage.

Two other commercial ships, the Panamanian-flagged bulk carriers Number 9 and Sophie II, were both struck by missiles. The Number 9 reported some damage but no casualties, and the Sophie II reported no significant damage.

While sailing to assist the Sophie II, the Carney shot down another drone heading in its direction. The drones did no damage.

The Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, has shot down multiple rockets the Houthis have fired towards Israel while it’s at war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. It hasn’t been damaged in any of the incidents and no injuries have been reported on board.

Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree claimed two of the attacks, saying the first vessel was hit by a missile and the second by a drone while in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. Saree did not mention any US warship being involved.

The USS Carney.Credit: US NAVY

“The Yemeni armed forces continue to prevent Israeli ships from navigating the Red Sea (and Gulf of Aden) until the Israeli aggression against our steadfast brothers in the Gaza Strip stops,” Saree said. “The Yemeni armed forces renew their warning to all Israeli ships or those associated with Israelis that they will become a legitimate target if they violate what is stated in this statement.”

Saree also identified the first vessel as the Unity Explorer, which is owned by a British firm that includes Dan David Ungar, who lives in Israel, as one of its officers. The Number 9 is linked to Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement, while the Sophie II is linked to Japan’s Kyowa Kisen. Managers for the three vessels could not be immediately reached for comment.

Israeli media identified Ungar as being the son of Israeli shipping billionaire Abraham “Rami” Ungar.

Iran has yet to directly address the attacks. However, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian threatened “that if the current situation continues, the region will enter a new phase” over the Israel-Hamas war.

“All parties who are after igniting a war are warned, before it’s too late stop the killing of women and children, of which a new round has started,” Amirabdollahian said.

Iran’s top diplomat described his comments as coming after conversations with “resistance forces” in the region — a description Tehran uses for the Shiite militias it backs, including groups in Iraq, the Houthis and Lebanon’s Hezbollah, as well as the Sunni fighters of Hamas. All have threatened or attacked Israel, Iran’s regional arch rival, during the war.

The Houthis have launched a series of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, as well as launching drones and missiles targeting Israel. Analysts suggest the Houthis hope to shore up waning popular support after years of civil war in Yemen between it and Saudi-backed forces.

The U.S. has stopped short of saying its Navy ships were targeted, but has said Houthi drones have headed toward the ships and have been shot down in self-defence. Washington has declined to directly respond to the attacks, as has Israel, whose military continues to try to describe the ships as not having links to their country.

Global shipping had increasingly been targeted as the Israel-Hamas war threatens to become a wider regional conflict — even as a truce briefly halted fighting and Hamas exchanged hostages for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. However, the collapse of the truce and the resumption of punishing Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and a ground offensive there had raised the risk of more seaborne attacks.

In November, the Houthis seized a vehicle transport ship also linked to Israel in the Red Sea off Yemen. The rebels still hold the vessel near the port city of Hodeida. Missiles also landed near another U.S. warship last week after it assisted a vessel linked to Israel that had briefly been seized by gunmen. Separately, a container ship owned by an Israeli billionaire recently came under attack by a suspected Iranian drone in the Indian Ocean.

The Houthis had not directly targeted the Americans for some time, further raising the stakes in the growing maritime conflict. In 2016, the US launched Tomahawk cruise missiles that destroyed three coastal radar sites in Houthi-controlled territory to retaliate for missiles being fired at U.S. Navy ships at the time.

AP

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