The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Wednesday on social media that a US warplane and a coalition cruiser in the Red Sea intercepted and destroyed five explosive-laden drones launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Tuesday night.
At the same time, UK Maritime Trade Operations, a maritime agency that investigates ship attacks, said on Tuesday night that it had received an alert about an explosion 60 nautical miles west of Hodeidah in which a rocket was spotted hitting the starboard side of a ship sailing through the Red Sea.
The US, according to a senior US military official, has targeted more than 230 locations in Houthi rebels-controlled parts of Yemen, possibly destroying hundreds of Houthi weapons in recent weeks, and it, together with its ally naval forces, has intercepted and destroyed dozens of Houthi missiles and drones.
In a testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism on Tuesday, Daniel Shapiro, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Middle East policy, said that the US Department of Defense was committed to defending civilians and international shipping lanes against Houthi rebels attacks.
He added that the attacks had impeded the supply of humanitarian aid, such as food and medicine, to Yemen and other impoverished nations.
Despite airstrikes and local and international pleas for de-escalation in the Red Sea, the Houthis have pledged to continue their assaults.
The UK Embassy in Yemen warned on Wednesday that Houthi assaults on ships would result in an environmental catastrophe off Yemen’s shores, citing the Lebanese-operated MV Rubymar ship, which generated a big oil slick in the Red Sea after being hit by Houthi missiles.
“Despite years of international effort to avert a crisis with the FSO SAFER, the Houthis are threatening another environmental disaster with the reckless attack on the MV Rubymar. The vessel is now at risk of leaking into the Red Sea. We call on the Houthis to stop their attacks,” the embassy said on X.