The United States military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) successfully intercepted and shot down 18 drones launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels over the southern Red Sea, marking the 26th attack on international shipping lanes in the past seven weeks. Collaborating with forces from the United Kingdom, CENTCOM also neutralized two anti-ship cruise missiles and one anti-ship ballistic missile in a coordinated defensive effort.
In a statement on Wednesday, CENTCOM revealed that the Houthi rebels, with Iranian backing, orchestrated a sophisticated assault involving Iranian-designed one-way attack UAVs, anti-ship cruise missiles, and an anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen into the Southern Red Sea. The attack comes in the wake of increased tensions since November 19 when the Houthis hijacked the Galaxy Leader, a vehicle carrier en route from Turkey to India, marking the beginning of their 26th assault on Red Sea shipping lanes.
Responding to the threat, fighter jets from the Dwight D Eisenhower aircraft carrier, along with four destroyers, including one from the UK, participated in the operation. Despite the intensity of the attacks, no injuries or damage were reported. In response to the recurrent Houthi assaults, the U.S. recently formed an international maritime coalition to address the situation, leading some shipping lines to opt for longer sea routes around southern Africa to avoid the Red Sea altogether.