A series of attacks by pro-Iranian Yemeni rebels, the Houthis, on civilian ships in the Red Sea ultimately resulted in deaths. Moreover, contrary to the pledge to only attack Israeli, British, and American merchant ships, criticism is growing over the deaths of civilian sailors from third countries onboard Greek cargo ships. The U.S.-led multinational force is expected to strengthen its offensive against Houthi strongholds.
On the 6th, the U.S. Central Command said through social media “Three of the four people are in critical condition,” he said. It is reported that there were 23 people on board the True Confidence Hoen, most of whom were Filipino, Vietnamese, and Indian nationals. The ship suffered a disaster while departing from China and en route to Saudi Arabia.
Since November of last year, Houthi rebels have attacked civilian ships and multinational military vessels traveling in and out of the Red Sea more than 60 times under the pretext of opposing Israel’s attack on the Gaza Strip. This is the first time that a death occurred in the process. According to Reuters, immediately after the attack, Houthi rebel spokesman Yahya Sari admitted that they were responsible, saying, “The ship in question ignored the warnings of the Yemeni Navy and began this operation,” and “We hit the ship with an accurate missile strike.”
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) also released a statement as the British cargo ship ‘Rubymar’, which was attacked on the 18th of last month, sank on the 3rd and resulted in deaths. ITF Secretary-General Stephen Cotton condemned the incident, saying, “We have continuously warned the international community about the danger that seafarers face in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, but today a tragedy has finally occurred.”
The U.S.-led multinational force is taking this incident as an opportunity to increase the level of pressure. Although large-scale airstrikes began on January 12, it has been pointed out that the effects so far have not been very significant. U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said in a briefing that day, “The Houthi rebels are continuing reckless attacks without regard for the safety of innocent civilians,” and added, “We will hold them accountable for these attacks.” The U.S. Treasury Department imposed additional economic sanctions on two shipping companies and two ships from Hong Kong and the Marshall Islands that illegally transported goods to the Houthi rebels.
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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.