10-1-2024 (LONDON) US and UK forces successfully thwarted an extensive drone and missile attack over the Red Sea orchestrated by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. London has labelled this assault, occurring on Wednesday (Jan 10), as the “largest attack” yet by the Iran-backed insurgents.
During the intervention on Tuesday, Western allies’ warships and aircraft neutralized 18 drones and three missiles, as reported by the US military. The British destroyer HMS Diamond played a crucial role in the operation, engaging with “her guns and Sea Viper missiles” to intercept drones approaching both her and commercial vessels in the area, stated UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps.
This incident follows a stern warning issued a week ago by a coalition of 12 nations, led by the United States, cautioning the Houthis against continuing their aggression on commercial vessels in the vital international shipping corridor. The Houthis claim to be targeting Israeli-linked vessels in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is currently engaged in conflict with the militant group Hamas.
HMS Diamond, in collaboration with US warships, successfully repelled what Shapps described as “the largest attack from the Iranian-backed Houthis in the Red Sea to date.” He emphasized that the UK, along with its allies, has unequivocally condemned these illegal attacks, asserting that the consequences for the Houthis will be severe if such actions persist.
“The UK alongside allies have previously made clear that these illegal attacks are completely unacceptable and if continued the Houthis will bear the consequences. We will take the action needed to protect innocent lives and the global economy,” Shapps vowed.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) provided insights into the nature of the Houthi attack, describing it as “a complex attack of Iranian designed one-way attack UAVs.” The assault included the firing of anti-ship cruise missiles and an anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. The combination of F/A-18 warplanes, operating from the USS Dwight D Eisenhower aircraft carrier, three American destroyers, and the British naval vessel, successfully neutralized the threat, according to CENTCOM.
This incident marks the latest episode since the establishment of a multinational naval task force by the US last month, aiming to safeguard Red Sea shipping from Houthi attacks. These attacks pose a threat to a critical transit route responsible for carrying up to 12% of global trade.
In a related development, CENTCOM revealed that US forces had previously shot down a drone launched from Yemen over the weekend. Vice Admiral Brad Cooper disclosed that the Houthis had also deployed an explosives-laden sea drone into shipping lanes last week, marking the first instance of such a weapon’s use in the current conflict.
The Houthis, holding significant control over Yemen, align themselves with the “axis of resistance” against Israel. This development adds to the complexities of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, triggered by a surprise cross-border attack by Hamas from Gaza on Oct 7. The subsequent Israeli campaign in Gaza, supported by military aid from the United States, has resulted in significant casualties, causing unrest in the Middle East and fuelling attacks by anti-Israel armed groups across the region.
Furthermore, the broader regional tensions are exacerbated by drone and rocket attacks on US forces in Iraq and Syria, attributed to Iran-backed armed groups. Recent events, including a US strike in Baghdad targeting a pro-Iran commander involved in attacks on American forces, have heightened concerns about the potential for a more extensive regional conflict involving Iran – a scenario that Washington is actively working to avoid.
