US military shoots down four drones in the Red Sea

(Patria) - US military forces yesterday shot down four drones moving towards a US destroyer in the Red Sea, launched from areas of Yemen controlled by pro-Iranian Houthis.

The targets of the drone attacks, two of which were launched from Yemen and one from Iran, were three civilian tankers, Hina reports.

The US Naval Forces Central Command responded to distress calls from two attacked ships, CENTCOM said in a post on platform X.

A chemical and oil tanker sailing under the Norwegian flag reported being narrowly missed by a drone, and a Gabon-owned crude oil tanker sailing under the Indian flag reported being hit, according to the US military command’s statement.

Two anti-ship ballistic missiles were also "fired into international shipping lanes in the Southern Red Sea from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen".

This marks the 14th and 15th attacks by Houthi militants on commercial ships since October 17, CENTCOM wrote.

The Houthis, who control a large part of Yemen, have been disrupting global trade for weeks with attacks on ships passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea, which they say is a response to Israel's war in Gaza.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations previously reported that a drone exploded near a ship in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, 45 nautical miles southwest of Saleef in Yemen.

The United States launched Operation Prosperity Guardian three days ago, stating that more than a dozen countries have agreed to participate in efforts that will include joint patrols in the Red Sea waters near Yemen.

The US Department of Defense announced yesterday that a drone launched from Iran hit a chemical tanker in the Indian Ocean early Saturday.

- The motor vessel CHEM PLUTO, a chemical tanker sailing under the flag of Liberia, owned by Japan and the Netherlands, was hit today around 10 AM local time in the Indian Ocean, 200 nautical miles off the coast of India, by an attack drone fired from Iran - said a Pentagon spokesperson.

Escalation of regional tensions

These incidents indicate an escalation of regional tensions and a new risk to shipping lanes following Hamas's attacks on Israel on October 7.

On December 23 two Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles were fired into international shipping lanes in the Southern Red Sea from Houthi controlled areas of Yemen. No ships reported being impacted by the ballistic missiles.

Between 3 and 8 p.m. (Sanaa time), the USS LABOON (DDG… pic.twitter.com/jcBisbXBaS

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 24, 2023

The Iranian government, as well as its allied militant forces in Yemen, have publicly criticized the Israeli government's military operation in Gaza, which has killed more than 20,000 Palestinian citizens.

A Pentagon statement said this was "the seventh Iranian attack on commercial vessels since 2021".

There were no casualties in the attack, and a short-lived fire on the tanker was extinguished. The incident occurred just 200 nautical miles off the coast of India.

According to the maritime security company Ambrey, the ship is "linked to Israel" and sails between Saudi Arabia and India, and the Wall Street Journal claims that the Dutch company operating MV Chem Pluto is linked to the Israeli shipping company Idan Ofer.

The Indian Navy sent a plane and a warship to assist the MV Chem Pluto.

A spokesperson for the Iranian delegation to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In November, a drone attack in the Indian Ocean also damaged an Israeli cargo ship, for which Washington also blamed Iran.

Attacks on commercial ships

Attacks on commercial ships since the beginning of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7 have prompted major shipping companies to reroute their vessels around the southern tip of Africa, despite higher fuel costs for longer journeys.

On Saturday, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps official Mohamad Reza Nakdi warned that other shipping routes would become impassable if the war between Israel and Hamas continued.

- With the continuation of the crimes, America and its allies must expect the birth of new resistance forces and the closure of shipping routes.

They will soon have to expect the Mediterranean Sea, Gibraltar, and other waterways to be closed - said the official, quoted by the Iranian news agency Tasnim.

The Red Sea is a "highway" connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean, and thus Europe with Asia.

About 20,000 ships pass through there every year via the Suez Canal, representing about 40 percent of global trade.

The White House accuses Iran of being involved in planning Houthi attacks because it provides them with "sophisticated military equipment" and "intelligence assistance," without which the Yemeni rebels would have difficulty spotting and hitting ships.

Iran admits to providing political support to the Yemeni rebels who have been at war since 2014 against the internationally recognized Yemeni government. However, Tehran denies supplying the rebels with military equipment.