Yemen's Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for an attack on “a British ship” off the coast of Yemen on Thursday after two shipping companies reported an explosion near a ship in the area.
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This attack came after the American army claimed to have intercepted a shipment of weapons from Iran in late January that was destined for the Tehran-backed Houthis.
Since insurgents began attacking merchant ships off Yemen's coast in mid-November, the United States and the Houthis have waged a cycle of attacks and counterattacks, disrupting maritime traffic in an area that accounts for 12% of global trade.
In a statement posted on social media, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said missiles were fired at “a British ship” in the Gulf of Aden, which he said was “shot down.”
According to the British maritime safety authority UKMTO, an explosion occurred “in close proximity” to a ship east of the southern Yemeni city of Aden. The crew was safe and the ship had set sail for its next port of call, it added, without specifying the boat's nationality.
Security firm Ambrey, which specializes in maritime transport, claimed that a “bulk carrier in transit” east of Aden was attacked by an explosive projectile. “The projectile exploded “nearby” but did not hit the ship,” she said, reporting “minor shrapnel damage.”
Earlier in the day, the United States Central Command (Centcom) claimed that “a U.S. Coast Guard cutter seized conventional and other lethal weapons originating from Iran and intended for use by the Houthis aboard a vessel in the Arabian Sea in January.” areas in Yemen are designated.” 28.
According to him, the cargo included “more than 200 packages of intermediate-range ballistic missile components, explosives, drone components, military communications and network equipment, anti-tank missile launchers and other military components.”
“Malicious Activity”
The United States said it intercepted a boat in the Arabian Sea in mid-January carrying Iranian-made missile components destined for Yemen, a country that has been at war between rebels and the government since 2014.
AFP
“This is another example of Iran’s malign activities in the region,” Centcom Commander Michael Erik Kurilla said.
The Houthis say they are carrying out their attacks in “solidarity” with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel is at war with Hamas after that Islamist movement's bloody attack on Israeli soil on October 7.
Their attacks forced many shipowners to bypass the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Washington, Israel's first ally, launched a multinational coalition in December to “protect” maritime traffic, but failed to stop the attacks.
Since mid-January, the United States and the United Kingdom have carried out several attacks against rebel positions, which also described American and British ships as “legitimate targets” after initially stating that they were ships “operating with Israel.” “Be connected.”
“Don’t listen to the Americans”
On Wednesday, the US Army carried out new strikes against missiles and drones “ready to be fired against ships in the Red Sea” “in areas of Yemen controlled by the Houthis.”
Rebel leader Abdel Malek al-Houthi, in a speech on Thursday, accused the United States of carrying out around 40 attacks this week, most of them against Hodeida, a Houthi-controlled region in the west of the country.
These attacks cannot stop insurgents from attacking ships unless there is a ceasefire in Gaza, he said, calling on European Union countries not to get involved in this confrontation.
“European countries should not listen to the Americans or the British and not interfere in matters that do not concern or concern them,” he warned.