Yemen’s Houthi militia, supported by Iran, took responsibility for a missile strike targeting a Pakistan-bound container ship in the Red Sea, as well as an attempt to deploy drones against Israel.
MSC Mediterranean Shipping confirmed that the attacked vessel, the United VIII, was travelling from Saudi Arabia to Karachi, but no crew members were injured.
In a separate development, Israel reported intercepting an aerial threat in the Red Sea region. The Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Sarea, announced that the MSC United was targeted for failing to heed warnings and claimed an operation against Eilat and other Israeli locations.
The U.S. military countered by downing multiple Houthi-fired drones, missiles, and cruise missiles in the Red Sea, reporting no injuries or damage.
The Houthis, controlling significant parts of Yemen, have since October targeted vessels in the Red Sea linked to Israel or en route there. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Authority also noted two explosion incidents involving missiles and drones near a vessel in the Red Sea.
Following these events, the U.S. announced a new maritime security initiative in the Red Sea, prompting several shipping lines to reroute around Africa. The Houthis have threatened further attacks until Israel ends its actions in Gaza and warned against targeting U.S. warships.
