Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Attack Warship and Commercial Vessels in the Red Sea

Drones and missiles launched by Yemen‘s Houthi rebels targeted commercial ships in the Red Sea, while a U.S. warship took defensive action in response. The attack, which lasted for several hours, marked a significant escalation in the conflict and the first time multiple vessels came under a single Houthi assault. The Pentagon reported that the USS Carney, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, was not damaged and there were no injuries on board. The attack began in Sanaa, Yemen, and the U.S. military responded after a Bahamas-flagged bulk carrier, Unity Explorer, reported being under missile fire.

Houthi spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed responsibility for the attacks, stating that the first vessel was hit by a missile and the second by a drone in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Saree warned all Israeli ships or those associated with Israelis that they would be targeted if they violated the statement issued by Yemeni armed forces. The Unity Explorer, owned by a British company, includes an officer who resides in Israel, identified as Dan David Ungar. The second vessel targeted was a Panamanian-flagged container ship known as Number 9, associated with Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement.

While the Defense Department did not confirm the source of the attack, the Yemeni armed forces continue to target Israeli ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden as part of their retaliation against Israel’s aggression in the Gaza Strip. These attacks on vessels in the Red Sea have been ongoing, alongside drone and missile strikes on Israel, as the conflict between the Houthis and Israel intensifies.