Iran-Backed Houthis Continue Targeting Commercial Shipping

Latest Developments

Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen attacked a commercial vessel in the Red Sea’s Bab el-Mandeb Strait on July 10, one day after conducting an attack on a U.S.-flagged container ship in the Gulf of Aden. According to the Associated Press (AP), the terrorist group’s latest attack targeted a Liberian-flagged tanker south of Mocha, with the captain reporting explosions off the ship’s side. The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center — which is located in the area — told AP that the “vessel and all crew are safe” and that the “vessel is proceeding to its next port of call.”

On July 9, the Houthis attacked the American-flagged Maersk Sentosa, which is owned by the world’s largest shipping company, Maersk. Maersk reported no injuries or damage to the ship or cargo, confirming that the vessel continued to its next port of call. The Houthis claimed attacks on two other vessels on the same day, but the attacks were not independently confirmed. Over the same 24-hour period, U.S. Central Command forces also destroyed one Houthi drone in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen that “presented an imminent threat to U.S., coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region.”

Expert Analysis

“If the United States and its partners do not intercept shipments of Iranian weapons to the Houthis at sea or on land, sooner or later, they will be intercepting the weapons as they fly through the air. Stopping the flow of advanced Iranian weapons to the Houthis should be a priority.” — Ryan Brobst, FDD Senior Research Analyst

“While the United States and the United Kingdom continue their strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen, American interests in the region continue to be threatened by the group. The Iran-backed organization remains undeterred as it intensifies its attacks on commercial vessels and conducts joint operations with the Iraqi Shia groups to achieve Iran’s ambitions in pressuring Israel, which faces a multi-front conflict.” — Ahmad Sharawi, FDD Research Analyst

Iranian Proxies Claim Coordination

On July 8, the Houthis claimed to have carried out a joint strike on Israel in coordination with the Iraqi Islamic Resistance — an umbrella group of Iran-backed Shia militias operating in Iraq. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree said that the group launched drones at the southern Israeli port city of Eilat — which the group has targeted repeatedly since October — and boasted that the “drones successfully hit their targets.”

The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged that suspected drones were intercepted south of Eilat on July 8 and July 9, reporting on both occasions that the single “suspicious aerial target” did not cross into Israeli territory and was intercepted by an Israeli fighter jet.

DIA Report Highlights Iran’s Support

The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) on July 10 released a new report of visual comparisons between Iranian weapons and weapons components intercepted at sea between January 11-28, en route to the Houthis. “Critical components of various missiles were seized and, upon further analysis, found to share near-identical features with Iranian missile systems,” the DIA said in a press release.

Related Analysis

“Iran-backed Houthis claim attacks on four more ships in multi-front assault,” by Seth J. Frantzman

“Houthi Rebels Claim to Break Up ‘American-Israeli Spy Ring’ in Yemen,” FDD Flash Brief

“Iran-Backed Houthi Rebels Abduct UN Employees,” FDD Flash Brief