Yemen’s Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement dramatically accelerated the geography and scope of its anti-Israeli and anti-US operations over the past 24 hours, targeting two cargo vessels and a pair of US destroyers using drones and missiles.
One of the attacks targeted the Portugal-flagged MSC Orion, operated by Zodiac Maritime, partially owned by Israeli business mogul Eyal Ofer, as it sailed from Sines, Portugal to Salalah, Oman. The drone attack took place in the waters of the Indian Ocean, a minimum of 1,000 km from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. The Orion is the sister ship of the MSC Aries, which Iranian commandos seized earlier this month as part of their retaliation for Israel’s April 1 airstrike targeting Iran’s consulate in Damascus, Syria.
The Houthis also targeted the Cyclades, with a militia spokesman saying the strike had been “accurate,” with that ship attacked in the waters of the Red Sea. The Cyclades is a bulk carrier under the flag of Malta. UK Maritime & Trade Operations confirmed that the ship had sustained damage, but said the vessel and crew were safe and continuing onto their next port of call. The Virginio Fasan, an Italian Navy frigate escorting the ship, reported shooting down a drone heading in the vessel’s direction. Italy’s defense ministry called the damage “minor” and “superficial.”
Central Command (CENTCOM) – the US combatant command responsible for operations in the Middle East, confirmed that three missiles and three UAVs had been fired at the bulk carrier.
The Cyclades is operated by Eastern Mediterranean Maritime – a Greek-owned commercial shipping company, with the Houthis saying they targeted the vessel because it was allegedly on route to Israel’s Red Sea port of Eilat, “using…deception by claiming that it was heading to another port.”
Separately on Tuesday, CENTCOM confirmed that Houthis had launched a drone in the direction of the USS Philippine Sea and the USS Laboon destroyers in the Red Sea, with the drone destroyed after being deemed “an imminent threat to US, coalition and merchant vessels in the region.” CENTCOM reported no injuries or damage.
The Houthis confirmed that they had “carried out military operations against hostile warships in the Red Sea, of which two American warships were targeted with a number of drones. The military operations achieved their goals successfully,” the militia said.
The Houthi attack on the Cyclades mark the second time in days that the militia has struck a commercial ship since the April 26 attack on the Panama-flagged Andromeda Star tanker, which suffered minor damage.
The Houthis have warned that they will continue their campaign of attacks for as long as Israel continues its war in Gaza.
Shipbroker giant Clarksons estimates that commercial tonnage passing through the Gulf of Aden remains down 69 percent compared to what it was in December, with container and energy ships hardest hit, and LNG carrier transit down to zero and, boxship transits down 89 percent.
“The Houthis have received many incentives since the start of operations in the Red Sea. But they are concluding that what’s being offered isn’t enough to stop,” one of the sources said.
“They are seeing these offers as blackmail in the humanitarian file because the issue of opening the airport or port or bringing in necessary needs is a right of Yemenis and should not be used as a pressure card on Sanaa,” the source added.