Houthis claim responsibility for attack on container ship in the Red Sea

(Patria) - The Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen has claimed responsibility for a missile attack on a container ship in the Red Sea on Tuesday and for an attempted drone attack on Israel, Reuters reported.

MSC Mediterranean Shipping stated that the crew was not injured in the attack on its vessel United VIII, en route from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan. It was reported that the ship notified a nearby coalition warship that it had been attacked and took evasive maneuvers.
Israel separately stated that its aircraft intercepted an enemy aerial target in the Red Sea area.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said in a televised address that the group targeted the ship, which he identified as MSC United, after the crew failed to respond to warnings.

He also stated that the Houthis carried out a military operation targeting Eilat and other areas in occupied Palestine. He did not say whether any of the targets were successfully hit. U.S. fighter jets, a naval destroyer, and other assets shot down twelve drones, three anti-ship ballistic missiles, and two cruise missiles fired by the Houthis in the Red Sea, the U.S. Central Command announced. There was no damage to ships and no reported injuries, they wrote on X.

The Houthis, who control much of Yemen, including the capital, have been attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea since October, which they claim have links to Israel or are heading towards Israel, in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations reported earlier two incidents of explosions in the Red Sea off the coast of Yemen, including missiles and drones near vessels. It also stated that there were no reported injuries.

The reported incidents occurred a week after the United States announced an initiative for multinational maritime security in the Red Sea in response to Houthi attacks. Several shipping lines have suspended operations through the Red Sea waterway in response to the attacks, opting instead for the longer journey around Africa.

The Houthis have vowed to continue their attacks until Israel stops the conflict in Gaza, and have warned that they will attack U.S. warships if the militia itself is targeted.