Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a missile on a U.S. warship patrolling the Gulf of Aden, which was subsequently intercepted by the warship. Additionally, they struck a British vessel, intensifying the ongoing aggressive attacks on maritime traffic and escalating the confrontation at sea for the U.S. Navy in the Middle East.
The missile was fired from Houthi-controlled Yemen toward the USS Carney. The Carney managed to shoot down the missile, averting any damage or injuries. Later the same day, a British-owned vessel, M/V Marlin Luanda, was struck by a missile causing a major fire in one of the ship’s cargo holds. The USS Carney, along with French and Indian navy ships, responded promptly and helped extinguish the blaze. Thankfully, no one aboard the Marlin Luanda was hurt in the attack.
This marks the first time the Houthis have directly targeted a U.S. warship since they began their assaults on shipping in October. The U.S. has attempted to downplay the attacks to prevent the conflict from escalating into a wider regional war.
The U.S. military has been conducting airstrikes against the Houthis since Jan. 11, following several weeks of attacks on commercial ships by the militant group. These airstrikes have targeted a wider range of sites, such as storage facilities and radar capabilities, as well as preemptive strikes aiming at Houthi missiles being loaded onto launchers.
The recent assault on a U.S. warship is significant, as it indicates the Houthis’ attempt to attack U.S. forces. The ongoing attempts to temper language and response against the Houthis have only emboldened them further, according to experts.
Since November, Houthi rebels have repeatedly targeted ships in the Red Sea, disrupting global trade amid Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip. They have threatened to target American and British ships as well. The U.S. Navy’s top Mideast commander compared the Houthi attacks to the so-called Tanker War of the 1980s, a period of heightened tensions between the U.S. and Iran, which culminated in a one-day naval battle and the accidental downing of an Iranian passenger jet by the U.S. Navy.
