Houthi naval attacks reached unprecedented levels after sinking a British cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden and attacking a US ship.
Western and Yemeni sources confirmed the sinking of the British-registered cargo ship Rubymar after it was targeted by two Houthi missiles in the Gulf of Aden and the survival of its 20-member crew.
Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack and for the downing of a US drone in Hodeidah.
The Iranian-backed Houthi group began its attacks on November 19 by pirating the ship "Galaxy Leader" and detaining its crew before continuing its attacks, which amounted to about 49 attacks, damaging at least nine boats and sinking one.
As the Houthi threat to navigation increased, the US military marked the first observed Houthi use of an unmanned underwater vessel.
The Iran-backed group claims that it aims to prevent the navigation of ships heading to and from Israel, regardless of their nationality, along with US and British ships, in support of Palestinians in Gaza.
Xinhua News Agency quoted a Yemeni coastguard source as saying that the Houthi group launched a missile attack at a UK-owned ship off the coast of Aden.
The source, who preferred to remain anonymous, explained that a ship sank and its crew survived, adding that military boats in the area tried to help save the vessel, but it was severely damaged.
- Escalating threat
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea claimed responsibility for the attack against the British ship, saying it suffered catastrophic damage and came to a complete halt.
Sarea warned that the ship is now at risk of potential sinking in the Gulf of Aden, asserting that the ship's crew exited safely.
Sarea also said Houthi air defenses in the Red Sea province shot down a US MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
An official at GMZ Ship Management in Lebanon said in an email to Bloomberg that the strikes against Rubymar targeted the ship's engine room and bow.
The official added that there were no reports of injuries among the crew members who were being transported to Djibouti.
Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Yemen warned on its X account that the "reckless Houthi attacks on ships and oil tankers could cause an ecological disaster in Yemen, even after the world came together to rescue the FSO Safer. Houthis should stop putting Yemeni livelihoods at risk!"
Ambrey said in a statement that a Greek-flagged bulk carrier reported a "missile attack" in the Gulf of Aden before another projectile hit the water just meters from the ship.
The firm said that a Houthi missile struck a US-owned cargo ship in the Red Sea, around 93 nautical miles east of Aden.
It noted that "the crew was not injured."
Later, Ambrey announced that the same ship reported a second incident about 81 nautical miles southeast of Aden.
Western media reported the firm indicating that a projectile fell into the water at a distance of 10 to 15 meters from the ship's right side.
Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack on the US ship, but the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said it received a report of an explosion near a boat 100 nautical miles east of Aden.
"The vessel and crew are reported to be safe," announced UKMTO.
- European operation
Meanwhile, the European Union launched on Monday a naval mission to the Red Sea "to restore and safeguard freedom of navigation" there, without participating in the strikes led by the US and supported by Britain, against Houthi targets.
The EU said the mission would be active along the main sea lines of communication in the Baab al-Mandab Strait and the Strait of Hormuz, as well as international waters in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman, and the Gulf.
EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that the operation will protect the commercial and security interests of the EU and the international community.
The statement quoted Borrell as saying that the launch of the security operation, dubbed Apsides, represents a rapid response by the Union to restore maritime security and freedom of navigation in a waterway of high strategic importance.
He added that the new operation "will play a key role in safeguarding commercial and security interests, for the sake of the EU and the wider international community," according to the statement.
The Operation Commander will be Commodore Vasilios Griparis, and the Force Commander will be Rear Admiral Stefano Costantino. The Operation headquarters will be based in Larissa, Greece.
- US strikes
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed responsibility for strikes against Houthi positions, saying it successfully carried out five self-defense strikes against three mobile anti-ship cruise missiles, one unmanned underwater vessel (UUV), and one unmanned surface vessel (USV) in Iranian-backed Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
CENTCOM identified the anti-ship cruise missiles, unmanned underwater vessels, and unmanned surface vessels in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined they presented an imminent threat to US Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region.
Furthermore, the Yemeni government asserted that Western strikes would not affect the Houthis' abilities to attack ships in the Red Sea and that the alternative solution is to support its forces to restore state institutions, liberate Hodeidah, and end the coup.
Officials expressed growing fears that peace efforts would collapse due to the escalation, indicating potential humanitarian repercussions resulting from the high cost of shipping and insurance, which would affect aid delivery to Yemenis.
Last Thursday, the US Navy announced the seizure and confiscation of an Iranian weapons shipment in the Arabian Sea, which was on its way to the Houthis.
The shipment contained over 200 packages carrying missile components, explosives, and other devices, the statement said.
Washington responded to the Houthis' escalation by forming an enhanced naval protection force operating in the southern Red Sea in an attempt to ward off mounting Houthi attacks.
Operation Prosperity Guardian would tackle the "recent escalation in reckless Houthi attacks originating from Yemen."
