Houthis Dominate Red Sea

The Houthis (Ansar Allah) in Yemen continue to launch attacks against Israeli-linked ships and others owned by the United States and the United Kingdom in the Red Sea and other nearby waters in response to the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip with much success.

Between August 21 and 22, the group attacked two vessels, the Greek-flagged Sounion oil tanker and the Panama-flagged SW North Wind I bulk carrier, in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Sounion, which was carrying around one million barrels of oil, was attacked by Houthi boats and struck with at least three projectiles. Later, it was boarded by Houthi special forces and blown up. Meanwhile, SW North Wind I received minor damage only after being hit by a projectile.

From its side, between August 21 and 30, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) targeted a surface-to-air system, a radar, a missile system, four drones and one uncrewed boat in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen. Another drone was also shot down by the command’s forces over the Red Sea.

The U.S. strikes didn’t stop the Houthis, who targeted the Liberian-flagged container ship Groton on August 30. Two projectiles launched by the group exploded next to the ship in the Gulf of Aden. However, it was not damaged.

Between August 31 and September, CENTCOM launched more strikes against Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, destroying two missile systems, a drone and an uncrewed boat of the group.

Still, the Houthis managed to attack the Panama-flagged Blue Lagoon I in the Red Sea on September 2. The tanker sustained damage after being hit by at least two projectiles.

CENTCOM said that another oil tanker, the Saudi-flagged AMJAD, was hit by Houthi fire in the Red Sea on the same day. However, the Houthis didn’t claim responsibility and the tanker’s management company, Bahri, denied that it had been targeted. The command’s claims were likely an attempt by the U.S. to drag the Saudis into a new conflict with the Houthis.

The U.S. failure to stop the Houthis’ naval campaign has put serious strains on Washington’s European allies who are now facing shipping problems while struggling to keep support for the war in Ukraine. Still, the U.S. does not seem to be able to convince any of its allies, aside from the UK, to fully join its futile battle against the Houthis.

At the same time, pressure on Israel to end the war on Gaza, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 40,000 Palestinins, is increasing as a result of the Houthis’ campaign, the daily clashes on the border with Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the now-regular attacks on vital Israeli targets by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq.

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