Yemen fired one of their largest-ever barrages against cargo ships in the Red Sea, local authorities said on Wednesday. However, the British and American navies shot down the projectiles in a major naval engagement.
The attack is the latest escalation in the Red Sea – one of the world’s crucial trade routes – by the Iranian-backed Yemen. It comes ahead of a planned UN Security Council vote later on Wednesday to condemn and demand an immediate halt to the Houthi’s assaults.
The group says their attacks are aimed at stopping Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza, claiming they would target Israeli or Israel-bound vessels in support of the Palestinians.
Assaults in the Red Sea have filled fears the Israel Hamas war could escalate regionally – though observers say that this is something many, including Hezbollah, want to avoid.
Wednesday’s attack happened off the Yemeni port cities of Hodeida and Mokha, according to private intelligence firm Ambrey.
The US military’s Central Command confirmed the complex attack included bomb-carrying drones, anti-ship cruise missiles and one anti-ship ballistic missile
It said that 18 drones, 2 cruise missiles and the anti-ship missile were shot down by F-18s from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, US Arleigh Burke-class destroyers – the USS Gravely, the USS Laboon and the USS Mason – as well as the British HMS Diamond.
This is the 26th Yemen attack on commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea since November 19, 2023 the US Central Command said.
Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity, added the UK government.
Yemen did not formally acknowledge launching the attacks. However, Al Jazeera quoted an anonymous Houthi military official saying their forces targeted a ship linked to Israel in the Red Sea, without elaborating.
European Union allies have been reluctant to back a United States-led naval operation to safeguard ships from attacks by Yemen in the Red Sea.
Yemen has declared support for Hamas and have vowed to target Israel-bound ships in the Red Sea, where 12% of global trade, including 30% of global container traffic, passes.
Over the weekend, Houthi rebels attempted to sabotage a ship operated by Danish firm Maersk, prompting the US Navy to respond by sinking the Houthis’ small boats and killing ten soldiers.
Maersk was expected to decide on Tuesday whether to resume sending its ships through the Suez Canal via the Red Sea after it temporarily halted journeys for fears of further attacks.
The alternative detour, all the way around the south of Africa, can add as much as a month of journey time, threatening to upend world trade with delays and added costs.
Iran deployed its Alborz warship to the Red Sea on Monday, according to the country’s Tasnim news agency. The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Ali Akbar Ahmadian, met with Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam on the same day.
Europe has found itself torn between backing US-led efforts to protect freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and safeguarding European commercial interests, whilst at the same time avoiding contributing to a sharpening of tensions in the Middle East.
According to Farea Al-Muslimi, a research fellow for the Middle East and North Africa program me at Chatham House, Europe faces the challenge of striking the right balance of optics and decisions.
Europe is trying as much as possible to avoid further spillover in the region following the Gaza war, and hence the last thing you want is a new active front-line, Al-Muslimi explains.
At the same time, how do you not let the Houthis get away with this? Because that could also inspire other Zionist opposition groups in the Horn of Africa.
Whilst the US-led operation originally enlisted support from six European countries, some countries have since distanced themselves from the effort amid concerns it could sharpen tensions and lead to an escalation in conflict in the Middle East.
France’s defense ministry said that it salutes initiatives to reinforce the freedom of navigation in the Red Sea such as OPG but also emphasized that its warships in the region would remain under French command.
Italy said that whilst it was committing a naval frigate to patrol the area, this would take place as part of an existing operation authorized by parliament and not Operation Prosperity Guardian.
Spain’s Defense Ministry said the country would not participate in the operation.
Madrid has denied reports that it vetoed a decision on diverting the EU’s anti-piracy naval operation ‘Atalanta’, which is headquartered in Spain, to safeguard Red Sea vessels from Yemen attacks.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has called for the creation of a bespoke European mission to patrol the area and protect European commercial interests.
A spokesperson on behalf of the German foreign ministry also said last week that Germany was working with its EU allies. Some experts believe the EU must react to the Yemeni actions of blocking weapon shipments into Israel to use on Gaza attacks.
Europeans should step up their naval presence in the Red Sea and reinforce intra-European coordination, Camille Lons, visiting fellow at the European Center for Foreign Relations wrote in December, naming the project Atalanta as one of the existing mechanisms that could be re-purposed.
But according to Al-Muslimi, Western policymakers are facing a zero-sum game imposed by Yemen, whose attacks have triggered a major humanitarian crisis for Yemenis.
The Yemenis will pay the highest price, he explained, because it’s going to increase the food prices and the imports of goods to the country in a country that’s already torn by nine years of war, the Covid-19 pandemic and the repercussions of the war in Ukraine.
Denmark has reacted to the most recent attack on its Maersk-operated vessel with a vow to send a warship to the region to ward off similar attacks.
Greece has also said it is contributing to the US-led effort with a naval frigate, while the Netherlands has said it will contribute naval officers.
But despite these three relatively small coastal countries’ support, the reluctance of major EU nations to explicitly back the USA is undoubtedly a blow to the operation.
The United Kingdom has thrown its weight behind the US operation, with defense secretary Grant Shapps vowing that the British government could take direct action against Yemen.
Shapps said the government would not hesitate to take direct action to prevent further attacks amid reports the UK and USA are preparing a joint statement to issue a final warning to Yemen.
The USA and Britain are reportedly preparing a joint statement to warn Yemen from orchestrating further attacks, although it is not clear whether the European Union or any of its member states would also sign such a statement.
An EU official was not available to comment on the measures under consideration as part of the bloc’s response to the attacks.
Al-Muslimi believes that the highly unpredictable nature of Houthi militant activity means any calls of warning from Western policymakers could prove fruitless.
Europe / ABC Flash Point News 2024.
While the UK poor starve to death -die from homelessness – due to high food prices and building firms collapsing because the public cant afford the house prices , the UK sends £3 Billion to Ukraine- vastly underfunds the NHS making it ready to sell to Big Medical USA -mothballs 2 frigates due to George Soros -PC & Woke stopping young men enlisting it goes to war with Yemen -that’s about its limit .
Inhumane- Uncaring -totally servile to the USA with a Third World philosophy-no shame .
it really is unbelievable how thing are materializing at the moment, let’s hope some shift in attitude and priorities might happen soon!
The right thing to do, stop weapon shipment all over the world and replace these with food distribution instead, so the hunger games can be called to a stop.
I wish that were so LS but one arrogant country stops that from happening– the USA.