Yemen’s Houthis have responded to Washington’s formal redesignation of the group as a “terrorist” entity by ramping up attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
Even before the weekend attacks, causing one crew to abandon ship and damaging a crude tanker, traffic through the Red Sea and Suez Canal had been sharply curtailed in recent days by the Houthi campaign.
US Central Command (Centcom) conducted five naval strikes against Houthi operations on Saturday, including one on an unmanned submarine. “This is the first observed Houthi employment of an unmanned underwater vehicle since attacks began on Oct. 23,” Centcom said.
A day earlier, the Panama-flagged Pollux tanker carrying Russian Urals crude to Paradip in India was hit in the Red Sea.
And on Sunday, the UK Maritime Trade Operation (UKMTO) reported a crew having to abandon ship some 35 nautical miles south of the Yemeni port of Mokha. The ship was later identified as the Rubymar bulk carrier en route from the United Arab Emirates to Bulgaria.
Houthi missiles were launched again on Monday at another tanker some 90-100 nautical miles east of Aden in the northern Indian Ocean, according to the UKMTO and security firm Ambrey.
EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen announced on Monday the formation of the bloc’s own independent naval operation to protect shipping in the area.
“Europe will ensure freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, working alongside our international partners,” she tweeted. “Beyond crisis response, it's a step toward a stronger European presence at sea to protect our European interests.”
“Terrorist” Designation
According to London-based think tank Rusi, this is just one of eight current naval operations in the area, including the Centcom-led Operation Prosperity Guardian, which has spearheaded the US response to this latest round of Houthi attacks.
The attacks come just as the 30-day grace period from when the US announced that it would relist the Houthis as a terrorist entity expired.
The Houthis have gained massive popular legitimacy in the Middle East for their attacks, which they say are in protest of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza.
As such, Washington’s “terrorist” designation will come as “a badge of honor,” Yemen expert Elisabeth Kendall told NBC.
No De-Escalation
The latest flurry of attacks certainly marks an escalation. And despite some press reports to the contrary, there has been no significant easing of tensions since the Marlin Luanda was hit in late January after the US and UK launched air strikes on Houthi targets.
Public information is sketchy, but Centcom releases show it launching almost daily operations this month.
Some of the operations were “pre-emptive” and involved no civilian vessel being attacked, according to Centcom.
Publicly available Centcom information is not always up to date, however. For instance, it did not release an update to its initial report on Pollux, which reported no damage or injuries.
The UKTMO records no incidents: late Feb. 16 to late Feb. 17, the 48 hours from late Feb. 12 to late Feb. 14, and for the three days from late Feb. 8 to late Feb. 11.
On Feb. 15, several Western media outlets announced a cyber-attack against the Iranian support vessel Behshad, currently moored off Djibouti, which had allegedly been providing intelligence to the Houthis.
The Houthis claim to be targeting Israel and Western states supporting it, but the reality is its approach has been a bit more haphazard.
Centcom reported on Feb. 12 that Houthi missiles hit the MV Star Iris, which was carrying corn from Brazil to the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas.
| Centcom Reported Attacks Against Oil/Chemical Tankers | ||||
| Ship | Date | Cargo | Seller/Route | Details |
| Pollux | Feb. 16 | Urals | To Paradip, India | Hit |
| Marlin Luanda | Jan. 26 | Naptha | Trafigura to Asia | Gulf of Aden; hit, explosion in cargo area, UK manager |
| Chem Ranger | Jan. 18 | Gasoline | Petro-Rabigh to Kuwait (Shuwaikh) | Two missiles; no hit |
| Blaamanen | Dec. 23 | Chemicals | Romania-India, according to Kpler | Drone attack; "near miss" |
| Sai Baba | Dec. 23 | Crude | TNK Urals to East Coast India | Hit by drone, but no injuries |
| Swan Atlantic | Dec. 18 | Empty | Yanbu-Salalah | Reported hit |
| Ardmore Encounter | Dec. 13 | Jet | Mangalore-Sweden | Attempted boarding followed by missile attack; no injuries |
| Strinda | Dec. 11 | Naptha | Malaysia, no destination | Bab al-Mandeb, attacked then turned back and went to Djibouiti |
| Source: US Central Command | ||||