The Houthis Claim a New Attack on a Commercial Ship in the Red Sea
The Yemeni Houthi group announced today, Tuesday, September 2, that it has carried out a new attack in the Red Sea, claiming that it "targeted a ship in the northern Red Sea with two drones and a missile due to its connection with Israel." The group did not disclose the exact timing of the attack, according to what was reported by Reuters.
This announcement comes amid mutual military escalation, as the Israeli army announced earlier today that it intercepted a drone launched from Yemen before it breached Israeli airspace. The army spokesperson added via the X platform: "No alerts were activated."
The attack comes just one day after similar incidents. The Israeli army announced on Monday that it intercepted a drone launched from Yemen before it entered Israeli airspace. The army stated in a statement: "A drone launched from Yemen was intercepted before entering Israeli territory, and no alerts were activated according to the established policy."
The Houthi group also announced on Monday that it targeted an oil tanker with a ballistic missile off the coast of the Red Sea.
This escalating situation comes just days after Israel assassinated the head of the Houthi government, which is not internationally recognized, along with several ministers in an airstrike on the city of Sana'a on Thursday. In response, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi vowed to Israel what he described as "an escalating path of attacks without retreat or weakness."
These strikes are the first of their kind in terms of Israel attempting to assassinate Houthi leaders and officials, in a scenario that several observers likened to what happened with Hezbollah in Lebanon last summer.
Since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, the Houthis have continuously launched ballistic missiles and drones toward Israel, most of which have been intercepted, launching dozens of attacks on commercial ships claiming ties to Israel, threatening more to "support the Palestinian people in Gaza."
In response to these attacks, the United States and Israel have carried out dozens of airstrikes on Houthi sites in Yemen, before Washington announced months ago a ceasefire, while the Israeli side confirmed that it "will continue to strike the Iran-backed group."
