In Dubai, United Arab Emirates, a suspected attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels targeted a ship in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait on Wednesday. This incident marked the rebels’ longest-range attack on a U.S.-flagged vessel near the Arabian Sea. The Houthis had paused their attacks for a week and a half, possibly regrouping ahead of the arrival of a new U.S. aircraft carrier as the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower began heading home.
The attack on Wednesday took place south of Mocha, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations center. Fortunately, the ship’s captain reported explosions off the ship’s side, but all crew members are safe as the vessel continues to its next port of call. The rebels have been targeting ships in the Red Sea corridor since November, and although they did not immediately claim responsibility for Wednesday’s attack, they often do so after some time has passed.
On Tuesday, the Houthis claimed responsibility for launching missiles at a U.S.-flagged container ship in the Gulf of Aden, identified as the Maersk Sentosa by the Joint Maritime Information Center overseen by the U.S. Navy. Late Tuesday night, the Houthis claimed responsibility for three attacks, including the Maersk Sentosa, operated by the Danish company Maersk. Since November, the rebels have attacked over 70 vessels using missiles and drones, resulting in casualties and ship seizures.
The Houthis attribute their attacks to ships linked to Israel, the U.S., or Britain as part of their support for the group Hamas in its conflict with Israel. However, some attacked ships have no direct connection to the Israel-Hamas conflict, such as those heading to Iran. The recent increase in assaults follows a quiet period of attacks and coincides with the imminent arrival of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt to replace the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in the region.
As the Navy awaits the USS Theodore Roosevelt’s arrival, there are no new details on its location, although a Navy image showed the carrier in the South China Sea last Friday. With tensions escalating in the region, the situation remains delicate, and further developments are being closely monitored.