29-12-2023 (WASHINGTON) The US military has reported that an American warship successfully intercepted a drone and an anti-ship ballistic missile launched by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels. The Houthis have frequently targeted vessels in the crucial Red Sea shipping lane, claiming to do so in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is engaged in a conflict with the Hamas militant group.
According to a statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM), the USS Mason (DDG 87), a guided-missile destroyer, shot down the drone and missile in the Southern Red Sea. CENTCOM confirmed that none of the 18 ships in the area were damaged, and no injuries were reported. This marks the 22nd attempted attack on international shipping by the Houthis since mid-October.
These attacks pose a significant threat to the transit route responsible for carrying up to 12 percent of global trade. In response, the United States established a multinational naval task force earlier this month to safeguard Red Sea shipping. Additionally, the US Treasury Department announced sanctions against a network involved in financing Houthi attacks. The sanctions included the head of the Currency Exchangers Association in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, as well as three exchanges in Yemen and Turkey implicated in facilitating Iranian financial assistance to the Houthis.
The Houthi rebels claim that their targeting of Israel and Israeli-linked vessels is intended to pressure an end to the offensive in the Gaza Strip. The recent escalation of the Israel-Hamas conflict began when the Palestinian militant group launched a surprise cross-border attack from Gaza on October 7, resulting in approximately 1,140 deaths, primarily civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli figures.
In response to the attack, the United States swiftly provided military aid to Israel, which has since conducted a relentless campaign in Gaza, resulting in the deaths of at least 21,320 people, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry of the Hamas-run territory. These casualties have sparked widespread outrage in the Middle East and fueled attacks by armed groups across the region that oppose Israel.
Furthermore, US forces in Iraq and Syria have repeatedly faced drone and rocket attacks attributed to Iran-backed armed groups, according to Washington. Just days ago, a drone attack in northern Iraq injured three American personnel, prompting the US military to strike three sites used by Iran-backed forces in the country.
