US Forces Respond to Houthi Red Sea Attack
CMA CGM Louis Bleriot and a Maersk Line container ship pass through the Suez Canal in Ismailia, Egypt July 7, 2021. Picture taken July 7, 2021.
According to statements made on Sunday by American, Maersk, and Houthi officials, U.S. helicopters stopped an attack on a Maersk (MAERSKb.CO) container ship in the Red Sea by Houthi militants backed by Iran, sinking three ships and killing ten militants.
Around 3:30 PM GMT on Sunday, the attackers attempted to board the Maersk Hangzhou, which was flying the Singaporean flag, according to both Maersk and the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Following a distress call, helicopters from the USS Gravely and Eisenhower assisted the ship’s security staff in thwarting the assault, according to CENTCOM.
Following the attack, Maersk announced that it was stopping all shipping across the Red Sea for 48 hours.
According to a Houthi spokesman, the crew of the ship disregarded warnings, which is why they carried out the attack. He said that ten Houthi navy members were “dead and missing” following an American military bombardment on their boats in the Red Sea.
The naval engagement highlights the possibility of a regional flare-up as Israel carries out its ceaseless bombing campaign in response to Hamas’s unexpected cross-border raid on Israeli towns on October 7, which resulted in 1,200 fatalities and the kidnapping of 240 hostages. Over 21,800 people have died as a result of Israel’s air and artillery shelling, according to Gaza’s health authority.
Since November, the Houthis from Yemen have been attacking ships in the Red Sea to demonstrate their support for Hamas. As a result, large maritime corporations have chosen to avoid using the Suez Canal and instead take the more expensive and time-consuming route around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope.
The Suez Canal, which manages around 12% of world trade and is essential for the transportation of commodities between Asia and Europe, enters the Red Sea through it.
On December 19, the United States announced the start of Operation Prosperity Guardian, stating that more than 20 nations had committed to helping protect ships in the Red Sea waters close to Yemen.
On December 24, Maersk, a leading global freight transporter, announced that it would start operating again in the Red Sea. Attacks have persisted, though, and American allies have shown themselves hesitant to fully commit to the coalition—nearly half have not made a public declaration of their participation.
It was the second attack on the Maersk Hangzhou in as many days, following the disastrous Houthi boarding operation. On Saturday, a missile struck the ship, which is traveling from Singapore with 14,000 containers, roughly 55 nautical miles southwest of Al Hodeidah, Yemen.
The shipping business also stated that there was no sign of a fire on board the Maersk Hangzhou crew, and the ship proceeded northward toward the Suez Canal.
When asked on ABC’s “Good Morning America” if Washington would consider a preemptive strike on the Houthis, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby declined to say what options the country is considering ;
We have made it clear publicly to the Houthis, we’ve made it clear privately to our allies and partners in the region, that we take these threats seriously.
White House national security spokesperson John Kirby
Houthi militant attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Yemen’s militants are interfering with maritime trade through the Suez Canal, forcing some vessels to reroute to a much longer East-West route via the southern tip of Africa.
“We are willing to take direct action, and we won’t hesitate to take further action to deter threats to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea,” British Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said in a Daily Telegraph article.
“The Houthis should be under no misunderstanding: we are committed to holding malign actors accountable for unlawful seizures and attacks,” he stated.
Earlier on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian was informed by British Foreign Secretary David Cameron over the phone that Iran ought to assist in putting an end to the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
The BIMCO shipping association expressed its condemnation of the attacks and expressed gratitude to the states who repelled them.
Jakob Larsen, head of BIMCO’s maritime safety and security, stated, “We are thankful to U.S., French, and UK efforts so far and hope even more states will support the coalition with naval assets or other impactful means including diplomatic pressure on the Houthis and their sponsors.”
