The US army stated that it sunk three Houthi vessels within the Crimson Sea in a press release on Sunday, and killed 10 fighters of the Yemeni armed group after a conflict in the midst of one of many world’s most vital commerce waterways.
The escalation follows weeks of Houthi assaults on ships passing by the ocean, ostensibly in a bid to stress Israel to cease its devastating conflict on Gaza that has killed greater than 21,000 Palestinians within the besieged strip.
US destroyers have teamed up with just a few different nations to attempt to cease the Houthi assaults within the Crimson Sea underneath Operation Prosperity Guardian — although a number of of its companions have distanced themselves from the initiative.
The Crimson Sea conflict on Monday was the primary main direct army engagement between the US army and Houthi fighters. Here’s what we learn about the way it all unfolded:
What occurred on Sunday?
On Sunday at 6:30am Yemen time (03:30 GMT), the Denmark-owned and Singapore-flagged container ship Maersk Hangzhou issued a second misery name in a day, reporting being attacked by 4 “Houthi small boats”, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) posted on X. CENTCOM added that the Houthis tried to board the Maersk vessel that was crusing by the Southern Crimson Sea.
In response to this misery name, helicopters from two warships, the USS Eisenhower and USS Gravely, flew in the direction of the Maersk ship. CENTCOM stated the crew of the USS Gravely destroyer first shot down two antiship ballistic missiles fired on the Maersk vessel.
Why did the US sink Houthi boats?
4 small boats then attacked the identical cargo ship with small arms hearth and Houthi fighters tried to board the vessel, the US Navy stated. The US Navy stated it then warned the fighters to steer clear of the ship, at which level, the helicopters got here underneath hearth.
The helicopters fired again, sinking three of the boats. Houthi crew members within the boats had been killed. The fourth boat escaped the world and US personnel and tools didn’t bear hurt, CENTCOM added.
“We’re going to behave in self-defence going ahead,” a White Home official stated.
A spokesman for the Houthis confirmed that ten of their fighters had been “useless and lacking” after their boats had been attacked.
Iranian-backed Houthi small boats assault service provider vessel and U.S. Navy helicopters in Southern Crimson Sea
On Dec. 31 at 6:30am (Sanaa time) the container ship MAERSK HANGZHOU issued a second misery name in lower than 24 hours reporting being underneath assault by 4 Iranian-backed… pic.twitter.com/pj8NAzjbVF
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) December 31, 2023
How have Maersk and different delivery companies reacted?
Maersk introduced on Sunday that it was pausing all crusing by the Crimson Sea for the subsequent 48 hours. On December 27, it had scheduled a number of dozen container vessels to journey through the Suez Canal and the Crimson Sea within the coming days and weeks.
Along with German delivery firm Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk operates virtually 1 / 4 of the world’s delivery fleet.
Different delivery companies have additionally responded to the escalating maritime battle. Companies together with CH Robinson, Evergreen, HMM, Ocean Community Categorical, Wallenius Wilhelmsen and Yang Ming Marine Transport are planning to keep away from the Crimson Sea and enhance the variety of ships rerouting round Africa’s Cape of Good Hope relatively than the Suez Canal. This new route is longer and costlier. Evergreen has additionally briefly stopped accepting Israeli cargo.
Whereas these assaults have had a “pretty restricted” impression on the oil market to this point, consultants postulate that costs might rise if the scenario continues.
Why are the Houthis attacking ships within the Crimson Sea?
The Iran-backed Houthis started launching drones and missiles in the direction of the southern elements of Israel in October quickly after the conflict broke out on October 7.
Nevertheless, the drones had been intercepted or fell brief. In a change of tactic, the group began attacking ships within the Crimson Sea that they claimed had been linked to Israel. Their assaults have disrupted many ships for making their means into Israel.
On December 19, US Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin introduced the institution of a multinational maritime safety pressure to counter the Houthis. Regardless of this, the Houthis have stated they are going to not again down until Israel ceases its conflict on Gaza.
Regardless of a multinational coalition agreeing to help the US trigger, solely the UK has straight contributed warships, leaving Washington to successfully “act alone” towards the Houthis, studies Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar from Djibouti on the sting of the Crimson Sea.
Serdar added that the US has “not been in a position to deter the Houthis” to this point, with the group waging assaults much more ceaselessly. He added that the most recent conflict marked a severe escalation as a result of the US not solely sunk Houthi boats but additionally killed Houthi fighters. Such confrontations are sparking fears of a regional escalation of the conflict that might pull Yemen into the battle.
