The Houthi rebels of Yemen, who have Iranian support, have persisted in their unrelenting assaults on ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, an important passageway in the Red Sea, in response to Israel’s conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Despite the human rights atrocities committed by the rebels throughout their protracted and stalemate fight with various U.S. partners in the area, the continuous attacks have elevated their status in the Arab world. Experts are expressing concern that the world economy might feel the effects of their assaults on international shipping if they continue for an extended period of time.
According to the U.S. military’s Central Command, the bulk carrier Rubymar was damaged, which flies the flag of Belize, by the Houthis, who conducted a series of devastating strikes on ships. One of the missiles struck the vessel and the Rubymar became crippled, compelling her crew to leave the vessel. The crew had previously reported difficulties with the propulsion system in November. Brigadier General Yahya Saree, a spokesperson for the Houthis, said on Monday night that the Rubymar went down, although no one else has yet verified this.
In addition, video footage purportedly showing the downing of an American MQ-9 Reaper drone off the coast of Hodeida, a port city in Yemen controlled by the Houthis on the Red Sea, was published by the Houthis. Another MQ-9, shot down by the rebels over the Red Sea, was also lost, according to the Pentagon. With the capture of Sanaa and the northern part of Yemen by the Houthi rebels in 2014, the United States military has suffered the loss of four drones in 2017–2019–and again this year due to rebel shootdowns.
In response to Israel’s assault against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have often attacked ships in the Red Sea and its surrounding seas. They have often attacked ships with weak or unclear ties to Israel, endangering commerce along an important trade route connecting Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
