22 March 2024; MEMO: The Houthis have carried out at least 50 attacks on ships off the coast of Yemen since November, a Pentagon official said yesterday.
“In the Red Sea, Ansar Allah [Houthis] are seeking to disrupt this vital route for global trade, carrying out at least 50 attacks” on ships since they began targeting ship in the region, Assistant Secretary of Defence for International Security Affairs, Celeste Wallander, said during a congressional hearing.
In November, Yemen’s Houthis started attacking Israel-linked vessels in response to the occupation state’s war on the besieged Gaza Strip.
In January, tension in the Red Sea increased after the US and the UK started striking Houthi sites in Yemen, prompting the group to include American and British ships among their targets.
Speaking at the same hearing, US Army General Michael Kurilla said the Houthis easily replace equipment damaged by the US-led coalition. “We must increase the work done at the international level so that we can inspect ships arriving in Hudaydah,” the Yemeni port city which overlooks the Red Sea and is governed by the Houthis, he said, claiming the group is receiving weapons shipments from Iran.
