The United States repelled a new attack by the Houthis against one of its ships in the Gulf of Aden

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US Navy Successfully Repels Houthi Missile Attack in Gulf of Aden

The United States successfully repelled a missile attack carried out by Yemen’s Houthi rebels against an American ship sailing through the Gulf of Aden. The events occurred around 2:00 p.m. local time in Sanaa (11:00 GMT), when the Houthis fired three missiles at the American container ship Maersk Detroit, as detailed in a statement by the United States Army Central Command (Centcom).

One of the missiles hit the sea, and the other two were shot down by the USS Gravely, a US Navy destroyer. Thankfully, no injuries or damage to the ship were reported, Centcom confirmed.

This attack comes after the United States destroyed two Houthi anti-ship missiles the previous night that were aimed at the southern Red Sea and were prepared to be launched. White House Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated that the latest Houthi missile launch demonstrates that the group “still intends to continue attacking” and that the United States has a duty to respond to “protect the maritime transportation in the area.”

The continued action by the Houthis “means that obviously we are still going to have to do what we have to do to protect that transport,” Kirby added. The Houthis, a group supported by Iran and considered terrorist by the US, have carried out dozens of attacks against commercial ships in the Red Sea. They say they are attacking Israeli-linked ships supporting Palestinians in Gaza, which has been devastated by the war between Hamas and Israel and inflamed tensions across the Middle East.

Several shipping companies have bypassed the Red Sea and taken the longer and more expensive route around the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa due to the Houthi attacks since mid-November. The rebels’ actions have disrupted trade in the Red Sea, which connects Europe and Asia and carries about 12% of international maritime traffic.

It’s important to note that the United States and the United Kingdom launched a second joint bombing campaign against Houthi positions in Yemen last Monday. The objective is to degrade the offensive capabilities of the Yemeni rebels.

Danish shipping giant Maersk said two ships belonging to a US subsidiary and bound for the Red Sea returned after hearing explosions while transiting the Bab al-Mandeb Strait between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. A US Navy escort accompanying the ships also “intercepted multiple projectiles.”

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a security agency run by the British navy, confirmed reports of “an explosion approximately 100 meters” from a ship 50 nautical miles south of the Yemeni port of Mokha, overlooking Bab al-Mandeb. British maritime risk management company Ambrey corroborated the reports from UKMTO and Maersk, adding that both vessels had last called in Oman.