According to U.S. Central Command, five self-defense strikes were carried out in Yemen by the Houthi militia, who get continual support from Iran, on February 18th. It claimed that on the day before, it had destroyed three portable anti-ship cruise missiles, as well as an unmanned underwater and a surface vessel.
The use of a UUV by the Houthis has not been seen since the assaults started in October 2023, according to CENTCOM. The United States Navy and commercial ships in the region were warned that the missiles and boats posed an immediate danger.
Reports show that since hostilities broke out after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, the Houthi strikes in the Red Sea region have been an indication of the conflict’s expansion throughout the Middle East.
In response to Israel’s airstrikes on Gaza, the Houthis, who rule over heavily populated areas of Yemen, have justified their attacks by saying they stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people. The United States and its allies see these moves as reckless and harmful to international commerce.
Major shipping companies have mostly left the vital commercial route in the Red Sea, opting to take more lengthy routes around Africa. As a result, prices have gone up, which is causing concern about inflation worldwide and cutting into Egypt’s much-needed income from ships using the Suez Canal to go to and from the Red Sea.
The Global Trade Research Initiative, an economic think tank, warned that industries producing consumer products and equipment would be hit hard. Businesses that use just-in-time production methods are especially at risk since they rely on the prompt delivery of raw, unfinished materials and finished goods while keeping their inventory levels low.
Rising freight prices, obligatory war hazard insurance, and significant delays caused by rerouting are the immediate consequences.
