The United States intercepted four drones aimed at a U.S. destroyer in the southern Red Sea, originating from Houthi-controlled regions of Yemen, as confirmed by U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). In a post on X, formerly Twitter, CENTCOM noted that these attacks marked the 14th and 15th instances of Houthi militants targeting commercial shipping since October 17.
The Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, who exert significant control in Yemen, have been disrupting global trade with repeated attacks on ships navigating the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea. They claim these actions are in response to Israel’s conflict in Gaza.
CENTCOM reported that U.S. Naval Forces Central Command responded to distress calls from two attacked ships. The Norwegian-flagged Blaamanen, a chemical/oil tanker, narrowly avoided a Houthi drone attack, while a Gabon-owned, Indian-flagged crude oil tanker sustained damage from a one-way drone attack.
Hansa Tankers, the operator of Blaamanen, stated that due to the close proximity, the U.S. Navy was alerted, providing protection. The Norwegian tanker, transporting non-flammable vegetable oil from Europe to India, and its crew remained safe and continued their voyage as planned.
Additionally, two Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles were fired into international shipping lanes in the Southern Red Sea, with no reported impacts on ships. The U.K. Maritime Trade Operations agency previously reported an explosion from an uncrewed aerial system near a vessel in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, 45 nautical miles southwest of Saleef, Yemen.
Three days ago, the United States initiated Operation Prosperity Guardian, involving more than a dozen countries in joint patrols in Red Sea waters near Yemen. This effort aims to counter the obstruction of shipping routes by the Houthi group based in Sanaa.
