Yemen’s Houthis targeted commercial ships in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday and Thursday as part of their campaign to protest the Israeli slaughter of Palestinians in Gaza.
The attacks came after a relative lull in Houthi operations following months of frequent attacks. The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, claimed they hit the Maersk Yorktown, a US-flagged, owned, and operated container ship that has an American crew.
However, US Central Command said a Houthi missile was intercepted that appeared to be targeting the Maersk Yorktown. CENTCOM said that “a coalition vessel successfully engaged one anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM)” that was fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen. CENTCOM also said its forces downed four drones over Yemen on Wednesday.
The following day, the Houthis claimed another attack on the MSC Darwin, a Liberian-flagged container ship. The British military’s UK Maritime Trade Operations Center also reported the attack and said the “vessel and all crew are safe.”
Also on Thursday, the Houthi leader Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi said Ansar Allah forces would expand attacks on Israeli shipping into the Indian Ocean, a threat he first made back in March. Al-Houthi noted how his forces first started attacking Israel-linked commercial shipping to show support for Gaza and expanded to include British and American shipping when the US and the UK launched a new bombing campaign in Yemen on January 12.
The US and UK have launched hundreds of missile strikes on Houthi-controlled Yemen, which is where between 70% to 80% of Yemenis live. The campaign has not deterred the Houthis, and the US said recently that it was considering “diplomacy” as the strikes have failed. The Houthis have been clear that they would stop if there’s a ceasefire in Gaza.
The US backed a brutal Saudi/UAE war against the Houthis from 2015-2022 that involved heavy airstrikes and a blockade, and the Houthis only became more of a capable fighting force during that time.
The war killed at least 377,000 people, with more than half dying of starvation and disease caused by the siege. A ceasefire between the Houthis and Saudis has held relatively well since April 2022, but new US sanctions are now blocking the implementation of a lasting peace deal.
Reposting my response to an article from April 4, when the US was boasting that they had killed all of 34 Ansar Allah members, after dropping 339 munitions of various types on the country in 148 missions.
148 x $200,000 = $29,600,000
So for 34 Ansar Allah fighters that’s a cost of:
$29,600,000 / 34 = $870,588 each fighter
Now if all 339 “munitions” were missiles that would be $1,994,118
each, but we know that they lost at least one F-18, at $34,000,000 so
probably some of them were dumb bombs that cost only a few tens of
thousands.
Biden has acknowledged publicly that the bombing isn’t making a
difference, but has said it would continue anyway. It would be amusing
as hell if it didn’t mean that innocent people were dying.
Wow, you should work for the pentagon budget office…. helping take the trash out.
“It would be amusing as hell if it didn’t mean that innocent people were dying.” I agree. That “would be amusing as hell.” But you know what would be more amusing amusing as hell? …Okay, I’ll tell you. It would be more amusing as hell to find out that we actually don’t care how much it costs as long as we get to kill “innocent people” in Yemen. …wut
” innocent people were dying”? The guys who fire the missiles are not innocent.
The solution is to bomb high value targets.
It would be crazy to bomb the Knesset, Haifa refinery, and the Tel Aviv coastline
Nice try at joke. But don’t quit your day job.
In Yemen? That would be pretty much just food warehouses, the Saudis destroyed everything else over the course of the nine years we were supporting their massacre there.
The Houthis have helicopters which they have used to attack ships that can be destroyed. The Houthis leadership have nice homes, which after warning the family can be destroyed. And than there is the already weak power grid. Let the Houthis leadership explain why the citizens have to live in the dark because they are supporting terrorists groups in Gaza.
So in over 150 attacks and around 400 items of various types of ordinance they haven’t managed to even take out a handful of ex-Soviet relics? And since when does the Empire feel a need to warn families?
They have destroyed a lot, but they are low value stuff. Are suggesting that the bomb the homes of the leaders with families in them? I don’t think that is necessary unless the intent is to kill the leaders. Not recommending that at this point.
“… but new US sanctions are now blocking the implementation of a lasting peace deal.”
Really? Color me shocked beyond words.
“The war killed at least 377,000 people, with more than half dying of starvation and disease caused by the siege.” They deserve it. …No.
…We didn’t have anything to do with it. People war and starve each other spontaneously. They deserve it because they must “hate us for our Freedom.”
The Houthis will keep firing missiles at shipping as long as the cost is so low. Since they don’t buy the missiles and they don’t care if a few fighters die when the missile sites are attacked why should they stop? If US wants them to stop firing the missiles they need to increase the “cost” of the war to the Houthis.
Easier to simply stop the genocide in Gaza by eliminating all support to the Likud Gov’t
Yes, so why are the Houthis attacking ships, Mr peace?
And what’s your solution in Ukraine?
Surrendering?
The Gov’t of Yemen has clearly stated its reason for the maritime blockade of Israeli linked ships – stop the genocide and the blockade will be immediately lifted.
The Houthis do not represent the entire country of Yemen. So it is not the “government of Yemen”. Second they are firing on many ships that are not linked to Israel. Third the blockading of ships is an act of war. How will you feel when Israel bombers someday arrive over the Houthis control area and say knock down the rest of the power grid? You will be the first to complain about Israel actions.
Is genocide an act of war ?
Asking for a friend
Your friend needs to learn the difference between genocide and urban combat deaths.
Tuesday at the ICJ will be most illuminating .
The US in not going to stop supporting Israel. That is your pipe dream. And if you want the civilians to stop dying in Gaza, have Hamas return the hostages and give up their weapons. But instead you prefer Hamas use children as human shields so that you can chant “genocide”. Israel did not put Hamas forts under civilian structures. Hamas did. The civilians deaths in Gaza are on Hamas’s decision to build the forts underground and than attack Israel.
“US…considering diplomacy” Read: “We’ve failed miserably and are now begging.”
Good luck with that, US.
As fake activists here would say:
“Way to go Houthis “
Yeah idiot Houthis, you are getting bombed, again and a lot.
You asked for it. You’ll get it in the name of peace 🤣