US sinks Houthi boats in the Red Sea: How did the fight unfold? | Israel War on Gaza News

The US army mentioned that it sunk three Houthi vessels within the Pink Sea in a press release on Sunday, and killed 10 fighters of the Yemeni armed group after a conflict in the course of one of many world’s most necessary commerce waterways.

The escalation follows weeks of Houthi assaults on ships passing via the ocean, ostensibly in a bid to strain 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 try to cease the Houthi assaults within the Pink Sea underneath Operation Prosperity Guardian — although a number of of its companions have distanced themselves from the initiative.

The Pink 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 via the Southern Pink 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 mentioned 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 mentioned. The US Navy mentioned it then warned the fighters to avoid 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 have been killed. The fourth boat escaped the realm and US personnel and gear didn’t bear hurt, CENTCOM added.

“We’re going to behave in self-defence going ahead,” a White Home official mentioned.

A spokesman for the Houthis confirmed that ten of their fighters have been “useless and lacking” after their boats have been attacked.

Iranian-backed Houthi small boats assault service provider vessel and U.S. Navy helicopters in Southern Pink 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 transport companies reacted?

Maersk introduced on Sunday that it was pausing all crusing via the Pink Sea for the following 48 hours. On December 27, it had scheduled a number of dozen container vessels to journey through the Suez Canal and the Pink Sea within the coming days and weeks.

Along with German transport firm Hapag-Lloyd, Maersk operates nearly 1 / 4 of the world’s transport fleet.

Different transport companies have additionally responded to the escalating maritime battle. Corporations together with CH Robinson, Evergreen, HMM, Ocean Community Specific, Wallenius Wilhelmsen and Yang Ming Marine Transport are planning to keep away from the Pink Sea and improve the variety of ships rerouting round Africa’s Cape of Good Hope moderately 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 up to now, consultants postulate that costs may rise if the scenario continues.

Why are the Houthis attacking ships within the Pink Sea?

The Iran-backed Houthis started launching drones and missiles in the direction of the southern components of Israel in October quickly after the conflict broke out on October 7.

Nevertheless, the drones have been intercepted or fell quick. In a change of tactic, the group began attacking ships within the Pink Sea that they claimed have 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 protection force to counter the Houthis. Regardless of this, the Houthis have mentioned they are going to not back down until Israel ceases its conflict on Gaza.

Regardless of a multinational coalition agreeing to help the US trigger, solely the UK has immediately contributed warships, leaving Washington to successfully “act alone” in opposition to the Houthis, stories Al Jazeera’s Resul Serdar from Djibouti on the sting of the Pink Sea.

Serdar added that the US has “not been capable of deter the Houthis” up to now, with the group waging attacks much more often. 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.