US-British coalition responds to air raid three days later
U.S. intercepts with fighter jets… No casualties
LNG-tanker, etc. transportation halted one after another
Pro-Iran Yemeni Houthi rebels fired a cruise missile at a U.S. destroyer in the Red Sea on the 14th. Although the U.S. military succeeded in intercepting the attack, it was the first counterattack since the U.S.-British coalition airstrided the Houthi rebel stronghold in the early morning of the 11th.
In a statement released on social media He added, “The missile was shot down by a fighter jet and landed on the Red Sea beach in front of Hodeidah (a western city in Yemen),” adding, “There were no casualties or damage.”
According to AFP, this is the first time that the Houthis have responded directly to the U.S. military with force since the coalition airstrided the rebel stronghold on the 11th. Although a ballistic missile was launched on the 12th, it was aimed at a commercial ship passing near the Gulf of Aden in southern Yemen.
Iran and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah have repeatedly criticized the US airstrikes in Yemen. Hezbollah’s Supreme Leader Hassan Nasrallah appeared on Hezbollah’s Al-Manar broadcast on the 14th and said, “America’s attack on the Red Sea will turn the sea into a battlefield,” adding, “The Red Sea is a stage of war where missiles, drones, and warships are mobilized.” He said, “Even unrelated civilian ships are being threatened.” On the same day, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi also criticized the state-run IRNA news agency, saying, “The attack on the Yemeni people revealed America’s belligerent and anti-human rights side.”
Although Iran is still refraining from direct intervention, the prevailing view is that it is difficult to expect tensions in the Red Sea to be resolved any time soon. The New York Times cited a U.S. military official and reported, “Only about 20 to 30 percent of the Houthi rebels’ attack power has been damaged so far (due to coalition airstrikes).” A high-ranking Houthi official also threatened, “If the United States and others expand their military activities, we will carry out airstrikes on bases and continue to target ships heading to Israel.”
As tensions continued, Qatar’s state-owned energy company, Qatar Energy, temporarily suspended transportation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) through the Red Sea on the 15th for security reasons. Reuters reported on the 14th that four LNG tankers that were scheduled to head to Europe through the Suez Canal were stopped off the coast of Oman.
Cairo =
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.