Yemen’s Houthis launch largest Red Sea drone, missile attack after US warned them of consequences

US and British warships shot down an unprecedented 21 drones and missiles fired Tuesday by Houthis from Yemen towards international shipping lanes in the southern Red Sea, in what has been described as “the largest attack” to date.

No injuries or damage were reported, said the US Central Command, adding that this was the 26th attack by Iran-backed Houthi militants in the area since Nov. 19.

The latest barrage consisted of 18 drones, two anti-ship cruise missiles, and one anti-ship ballistic missile, all of which were destroyed by F-18 fighter jets from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D Eisenhower, and by four destroyers, including the USS Gravely, the USS Laboon, the USS Mason and the UK’s HMS Diamond.

“Overnight, HMS DIAMOND, along with U.S. warships, successfully repelled the largest attack from the Iranian-backed Houthis in the Red Sea to date,” British Defense Minister Grant Shapps said in a statement Wednesday.

“The UK alongside allies have previously made clear that these illegal attacks are completely unacceptable and if continued the Houthis will bear the consequences,” Shapps warned.

“We will take the action needed to protect innocent lives and the global economy,” he added.

In a televised speech Wednesday, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said the militants fired a large number of ballistic and naval missiles and drones at a US ship that he claimed was “providing support” to Israel.

Saree did not say when the Houthi strike had occurred or what damage, if any, the vessel had sustained, but that the operation was a “preliminary response” to a previous US attack that killed 10 Houthi fighters.

The drone and missile attack came ahead of a planned United Nations Security Council vote Wednesday to purportedly condemn and demand an immediate halt to the attacks by the Houthis.

The Shiite rebels, who control most of Yemen, have been firing on the crucial commercial route between Europe and Asia, which accounts for about 15% of the world’s shipping traffic — an estimated $1 trillion in goods annually — to show their support for Hamas during the war with Israel.
The militants have vowed to carry on the disruptive attacks until Israel pulls out of Gaza, and threatened to fire on US warships if the Houthis themselves were targeted.

Earlier this month, the US, the UK, and 10 other countries, including Germany, Italy, and Japan, issued a joint statement saying that Houthi attacks posed “a direct threat to the freedom of navigation that serves as the bedrock of global trade in one of the world’s most critical waterways.”

“The Houthis will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and the free flow of commerce in the region’s critical waterways,” the coalition warned.

With Post wires