This is the dramatic moment a Houthi missile hits a merchant ship in the Red Sea.
An explosion at the bow of the Malta-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier MT Zografia was captured on board camera on Tuesday.
The U.K. and U.S. are considering methods to intensify their campaign against Houthi militants in Yemen without escalating into a larger war, with a focus on targeting Iranian supplies and heavier preemptive strikes, people familiar with the matter said .
The proposals could signal an escalation in allied attempts to end chaos in the Red Sea, which handled around 12 percent of global trade before the Houthis began attacks on merchant ships in response to Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip.
The Houthi attacks have led to higher insurance costs and raised fears of additional inflationary pressures as ships take a longer and more expensive route around the southern tip of Africa.
The Malta-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier MT Zografia was attacked in the Red Sea on Tuesday
Footage captured by the onboard camera shows a massive explosion at the bow of the boat
Defense Secretary Grant Shapps wrote today on
“In doing so, we have dashed the hopes of tyrants like Putin, who naively believed we could be distracted by multiple crises.” “The UK can and will act wherever we need it.”
U.S. Central Command forces shot down a Houthi anti-ship missile today that was aimed and ready to launch in the Gulf of Aden, the U.S. military said. The latest round of attacks came hours after the United States fired three more Houthi anti-ship missiles.
“U.S. forces determined that the missile posed a threat to merchant and U.S. Navy vessels in the region and subsequently struck and destroyed the missile in self-defense,” U.S. Central Command said in a statement on X.
The incident, the latest amid growing tensions in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden that have disrupted global trade and raised fears of supply shortages, occurred around 4 a.m. Yemeni time (1 a.m. GMT), U.S. Central Command added.
Hours earlier, late Friday, U.S. Central Command forces carried out strikes against three Houthi anti-ship missiles they said were aimed at the southern Red Sea.
The explosion rocked the front of the ship. Britain and the US are exploring ways to intensify their campaign against Houthi fighters in Yemen without leading to a major war
Defense Secretary Grant Shapps wrote today on
“U.S. forces identified the missiles in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen and determined that they posed an imminent threat to commercial and U.S. Navy vessels in the region.” “U.S. forces subsequently attacked the missiles in self-defense and destroyed,” US Central Command said in the post on X.
The incident occurred around 6:45 p.m. Yemeni time (1545 GMT), US Central Command added.
Attacks by the Iran-allied Houthi militia on ships in and around the Red Sea in recent weeks have slowed trade between Asia and Europe and alarmed major powers, leading to an escalation of the war in Gaza.
The Houthis, who control most of Yemen, say their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians under attack by Israel in Gaza.
Houthi fighters brandish their weapons during a protest following attacks by US and British forces
This photo provided by the Indian Navy shows the US ship Genco Picardy that was attacked by a bomb-carrying drone belonging to Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday, January 18, 2024
Mohammed Al-Bukhaiti, member of the Political Council of Yemen's Houthi rebel movement and international spokesman for the group
Houthi supporters take part in a protest against U.S.-led airstrikes in Sanaa, Yemen, Friday, Jan. 12, 2024
The United States has been carrying out attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen since last week and this week placed the militia back on the list of “terrorist” groups.
President Joe Biden said Thursday that the airstrikes would continue, even as he acknowledged they might not stop the Houthi attacks.
Saturday's strikes were the fifth by the U.S. in the past week against Houthi rocket launchers ready to attack.
According to the US military, the Houthis fired two anti-ship missiles at a US tanker late Thursday evening, hitting the water near the ship but causing no injuries or damage.
US Navy sailors can be seen in a file photo. US forces carried out new strikes against Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on Thursday
A Houthi fighter holds his rifle during a ceremony to celebrate the end of his training
Houthi fighters and tribesmen stage a rally against US and British strikes on Sunday
The picture shows a Houthi fighter on board a cargo ship in the Red Sea
Attacks by the Iran-allied Houthi militia on ships in and around the Red Sea in recent weeks have slowed trade between Asia and Europe and alarmed major powers, leading to an escalation of the war in Gaza.
The Houthis, who control the most populous part of Yemen, say their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians under attack by Israel in Gaza.
The confrontation risks spreading the conflict beyond the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, where over 24,000 people – or more than 1 percent of Gaza's 2.3 million residents – were killed in the Israeli attack, according to the local health ministry.
Israel launched its offensive following the Palestinian Islamist group's attacks on Israel on October 7, which Israeli officials said killed 1,200 people.