SANAA/WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) – The Yemeni Houthi militias’ attacks on international cargo ships continue off the coast of Yemen. A militia spokesman said several rockets had been fired at the American-flagged “Torm Thor” in the Gulf of Aden. In addition, American warships in the Red Sea were also attacked with drones. The US regional command Centcom announced that the “USS Mason” intercepted a missile that was allegedly fired at the “Torm Thor”. “Neither the USS Mason nor the MV Torm Thor were damaged and there were no injuries,” the US military said in a statement. According to data from the tracking service Vesselfinder, the tanker was docked near the Gulf of Aden in front of the port of Djibouti on Sunday.
On Sunday night, US and British forces, together with other allies, again attacked positions of the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen. The US Department of Defense in Washington said a total of 18 targets were attacked in eight locations. The USA and Great Britain responded to the Houthis’ ongoing attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. The targets included underground Houthi weapons depots, missile storage facilities, drones, air defense systems and radar systems.
The group’s leader, Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, said in a televised speech on Thursday that they were relying on escalation in response to Israel’s escalation in the Gaza Strip. Previously, Houthi officials said that in addition to ships with ties to Israel, U.S. and British vessels would also be targeted.
The sea route through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal is one of the most important trade routes in the world. Because of the attacks by the Houthis, who are armed by Iran, large shipping companies are increasingly avoiding the shortest sea connection between Asia and Europe.
At the same time, the USA warned of an environmental catastrophe in the Red Sea in view of the attacks. A week ago, a freighter carrying fertilizer was attacked and leaked. The ship was at anchor and was slowly filling up with water, the US military said. An almost 30 kilometer long oil slick has now formed./sus/DP/jha