Maneuvers after US operation: Iranian warship enters the Red Sea
January 1, 2024, 7:07 pm Listen to the article
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Yemeni Houthi rebels have been attacking merchant ships in the Red Sea for several weeks, seemingly at random. On Saturday, the US Navy sank several Houthi boats in another attempted attack. The next day, Iran sent a warship to the region.
An Iranian warship has entered the Red Sea amid tensions over attacks on merchant ships by pro-Iran Houthi rebels. As the Iranian news agency Tasnim reports, the “Alborz” crossed the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The report gave no reason for the crossing, but said Iranian military ships have been active in the region since 2009 to “secure sea routes” and deter pirate attacks.
The Red Sea is a central trade route through which up to twelve percent of world trade passes. For several weeks now, Yemen's Houthi rebels, who, like Hamas, are backed by Iran, have been attacking commercial ships seemingly indiscriminately in order to harm Israel. Due to the wave of attacks, several shipping companies are now avoiding sailing through the strait near Yemen, which is causing delays and increased freight costs due to long detours.
To protect the ships, the US founded an international military coalition to guarantee navigation in the Red Sea a few days before Christmas. On Saturday, the US Navy sank several Houthi rebel boats that were trying to attack a container ship. According to information from port circles in Hodeida, Yemen, at least ten Houthi rebels were killed.
“Axis of Resistance”
The Houthis consider themselves part of the self-proclaimed “Axis of Resistance” directed against Israel. In addition to the radical Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip, this also includes the Shia Islamic militia Hezbollah in Lebanon. The Houthis and Hezbollah are allies of Iran.
On Sunday, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron spoke with his Iranian counterpart, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, about tensions in the Red Sea and said he referred to Tehran's responsibility in preventing Houthi attacks. Cameron explained online that he mentioned Tehran's “long-standing support” for the Houthis. Iran has always maintained that the Houthis acted independently.
The “Alborz” repelled a pirate attack on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Aden in 2021. In 2015, it was one of two Iranian warships officially deployed to the region to secure trade routes – which was seen at the time as a sign of relations tense with Saudi Arabia.