The Houthis conducted two attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea. One vessel was hit with a projectile, causing a fire, but the crew suffered no injuries. The Houthis have carried out a series of operations against ships near Yemen over the Israeli onslaught in Gaza. The increased risks to shipping have led to a major shipping company halting transit through the Red Sea.
The Houthis’ first attack on Friday targeted the Al Jasrah, a Liberian-flagged cargo ship. The projectile was fired at the ship, causing a fire. A US defense official believes the Houthis fired a drone at the Al Jasrah. There are no reports of injuries to the crew members.
Ambrey, a maritime security company, described the incident. “The projectile reportedly hit the port side of the vessel and one container fell overboard due to the impact,” Ambrey said. “The projectile caused a ‘fire on deck’ which was broadcast via” radio.
A second ship, MSC ALANYA, was warned that a small boat carrying Houthi fighters was approaching, causing the vessel to take evasive maneuvers. Ambrey said MSC ALANYA was approached by a small craft “who declared themselves to be Yemeni authorities.”
The Ambrey statement said the Yemeni authorities instructed the MSC ALANYA, “Captain you are not allowed to proceed to the Red Sea. Alter your course to the south side, now.”
The Houthis have not commented on either incident. The Houthis have attacked over ten ships since Israel began its military operations in Gaza. The Houthis say they are targeting ships with connections to Israel to pressure Israel to end military operations in Gaza.
Following the attack on the Al Jasrah, major shipping company Maersk, told AP that the firm had elected to halt shipments through the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a waterway that links the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean.
“Following the near-miss incident involving Maersk Gibraltar yesterday and yet another attack on a container vessel today, we have instructed all Maersk vessels in the area bound to pass through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait to pause their journey until further notice,” Moller-Maersk said in a statement.
Nearly 10 percent of all oil traded at sea passes through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Washington is demanding the Houthis stop the attacks. The US is seeking to form a multi-national coalition to police the Red Sea. Abdul-Malik al-Ajri, a Houthis spokesman, said, “There is no way of preventing the escalation except by moving towards a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.”
Last week, the US asked Israel not to attack Yemen directly. Tel Aviv appears willing to ignore Washington and has since threatened to use force against the Houthis if the attacks continue. On Tuesday, a spokesperson for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “Regarding the Houthi attacks on international cargo ships, these attacks pose a threat to international trade and Israel, and this threat will be dealt with force.”
For over a year, a fragile truce has been held in Yemen between the ruling Houthis and the Saudi-backed government in exile. An agreement between the two sides has been negotiated and is waiting to be implemented. However, Washington is threatening to quash the tentative deal by placing the Houthis back on the terrorist organization blacklist.
Kyle Anzalone is the opinion editor of Antiwar.com, news editor of the Libertarian Institute, and co-host of Conflicts of Interest.
” placing the Houthis back on the terrorist organization blacklist” Yes, I would say that random attacks on ships in an attempt to disrupt world wide shipping makes them a terrorist organization.
What do you think indiscriminately dropping 30,000 bombs on one of the world’s most-densely populated places, killing tens of thousands of civilians, 70% of them women and children, makes Israel?
I would reply to what that makes them, but my leaders passed a law saying I cant say what i think that makes them.
You see I live in a world of free speech where my government only cares about my well being, Its a peaceful utopia these days free from fear and harm. We quite like it this way.
I would reply to what that makes them, but my leaders passed a law saying I cant say what i think that makes them.
You see I live in a world of free speech where my government only cares about my well being, Its a peaceful utopia these days free from fear and harm. We quite like it this way.
I would reply to what that makes them, but my leaders passed a law saying I cant say what i think that makes them.
You see I live in a world of free regulated speech where my government only cares about my well being, Its a peaceful utopia these days free from fear and harm. We quite like it this way.
you might be a new guy here (or you might be a regular guy here who changed his handle) – – either way you have said stuff that i agree with. now take a good look at my avatar because he is waving at you as well as at everybody else.
son of bitch.
what
Not sure where that went but for what its worth, i think this is my only handle, its an anagram. I may have had a different one about a year or more ago as I was here for a minute then left. I cant remember if I posted for that moment.. But as far as I can recall this is my only one.
All the warmongers and nations are terrorists these days, Its all calling the kettle black and its getting dull. The world leaders are incapable of creating peace. This we already know. We have enough evidence.
Actually attacks on shipping is a valid wartime maneuver.
Terrorism appears to be onesided whining of warmongers these days more than valid reasoning.
After the invasions/occupations of Afghanistan, the US regime started referring to anyone who attacked US combat troops as “terrorists.”
Terrorism is attacking civilians/non-combatants for the purpose of causing them, in terror, to lean on their governments to do what the terrorists want done.
And you dared to call me a terrorist while you looked down your gun
When I think of all the deeds that you had done
You had plundered many nations, divided many lands
You had terrorized their peoples, you ruled with an iron hand
And you brought this reign of terror to my land
Kinda of spooky how well it fits. Maybe singing Irish Republican songs is how Palestine supporters evade the censorship regime.
“Oh, come out you black and tans,
Come out and fight me like a man
Show your wife how you won medals down in Flanders
Tell her how the IRA made you run like hell away,
From the green and lovely lanes of Killashandra.”
I was stopped by a soldier, he said “You are a swine”
He hit me with his rifle and he kicked me in the groin
I begged and I pleaded, all my manners were polite
But all the time I’m thinking of me little Armalite
“Come tell us how you slew
Them ol’ Arabs two by two
Like the Zulus they had spears and bow and arrows,
How bravely you faced one
With your sixteen pounder gun
And you frightened them damn natives to the marrow.”
That’s right, either you’re with us or against us….
I think it’s an attempt to save lives. By the time you read this another child probably died in Gaza. If it took you an hour to read it, that’s 6 dead kids. If there was a cease fire, there would be a cease to the Houthi’s actions.
Joey Biden did that.
FJB and POS obama.
F em all in politics in the last 25 years. Lest we forget how we got here, . . bush and weapons of mass destruction, incubator babies, trump and ” I would send the military into the streets of free America to admin the vaccines” obama and healthcare that destroyed full time employment. Etc. Biden and Obama didnt create this on their own.
I already dread the next 25 years,
i remember lots of things that uncle sam has done and somehow gets blamed on whichever political party is the opposition du-jour.
what
I remember voting against one horrid guy for the competition, just to have the next guy fail in his promises and do a new horrid thing, then again trying to vote him out for the other guy,
Wash, rinse, repeat.
Wasted 20 years of my life that I will never get back on these prats.
Lesson learned though.
Funny how political party pushers end up on antiwar websites. Shouldnt you be on CNN, fauxx, twitter, and facebook?
That one thinks it is demonstrating critical thinking by pasting pretty much exactly that, over and over.
right then. “Biden did it!” if Trump was the POTUS would everybody say “Trump did it!” or would everybody find some other democrat to point the finger at = “It is all Obama’s fault!”
hey, remember when JFK sr blew up all 7 of the World Trade Center buildings and blamed it on bin-Laden?
i remember.
You sometimes post truly moronic nonsense.
Did IQs suddenly drop on here. There is no comment about a political party in my expression of disdain for the puppet and his puppet master.
As for political parties there are in reality no individual political parties in America. The Uni-party of Democrats and Republicans is now in control and America has become a kleptocracy.
I saw no comment about a puppet master.
Saudi Arabia does not need the USA permission to form an agreement with the Houthi’s for a truce. Who can trust us anymore to be honest about anything, when our Government is nothing but a den of thieves. The Arab, Muslim, Asian, African Nations need to bond together, create peace, trade, economic development, to help each other, without the BOOT of the West, EU and UK smothering them.
“Saudi Arabia does not need the USA permission to form an agreement with the Houthis for a truce.”
Well, that’s true, but the US is a practiced expert at punishing nations and other entities that fail to comply with its sanctions, and the Saudis and the rest of the world are well aware of that reality.
Economic Sanctions: The U.S. may impose economic sanctions against countries that do not comply with its terrorist blacklist. These sanctions can include trade restrictions, blocking assets, and limiting access to the U.S. financial system.
Diplomatic Pressure: The U.S. often uses diplomatic channels to persuade or pressure other countries to comply with its sanctions. This can involve negotiations, issuing formal complaints, or working through international bodies like the United Nations.
Secondary Sanctions: The U.S. may impose secondary sanctions on third-party entities that do business with sanctioned countries or organizations. This means that if a country or company continues to do business with a blacklisted entity, they too can face sanctions from the U.S.
As long as the US continues to have the leverage it currently has in international affairs, putting the Houthis back on the terrorist list would make it very hard for a truce with them to have the desired effects.
There is a truce that has been in effect for more than a year now, I spend part of the year in Saudi and it has been quiet for some time. There is no indication hostilities will resume regardless of the US views, Biden has zero credibility in the region now. There is a big increase in countries requesting to join BRICS, which started when Biden began fueling his forever wars. That wasn’t going on when Trump was in office.
Yes, all was peaceful in that region when Trump was in office. /S
Actually the forever wars started when bush was in office and saudis were on a plane if i remember correctjy
Vietnam.
Honey badger doesn’t care!
sweetasylum, continuing to cheerlead for every Tehran-backed terrorist group.
When Dutch and English merchant ships of the 17th century were attacked by pirates, the owners of the ship had cannon placed on their decks. I expect that today’s merchant ships will soon be provided with anti-drone defenses.
Already good money to be made by ex-military types riding as marines on tankers & freighters off the east coast of Africa. Couple of my cousins seriously considered it a couple years back – BYO guns & ammo, if anything approaches the ship, go weapons-free and repel any attempted boarders.
Interesting! I used to get job listings about guarding warehouses in Afghanistan — $100k plus, requirements being familiarity with the M60 machine gun and the ability to sit for long stretches. I wonder what the pay is for being a freelance marine?