JERUSALEM —On December 23 two Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles were fired into international shipping lanes in the Southern Red Sea from Houthi controlled areas of Yemen, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command. No ships reported being impacted by the ballistic missiles.
Between 3 and 8 p.m. (Sanaa time), the USS LABOON (DDG 58) was patrolling in the Southern Red Sea as part of Operation Properity Guardian(OPG) and shot down four unmanned aerial drones originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen that were inbound to the USS LABOON. There were no injuries or damage in this incident.
At approximately 8 p.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Naval Forces Central Command received reports from two ships in the Southern Red Sea that they were under attack.
The M/V BLAAMANEN, a Norwegian-flagged, owned, and operated chemical/oil tanker, reported a near miss of a Houthi one-way attack drone with no injuries or damage reported. A second vessel, the M/V SAIBABA, a Gabon-owned, Indian-flagged crude oil tanker, reported that it was hit by a one-way attack drone with no injuries reported.
The USS LABOON (DDG 58) responded to the distress calls from these attacks. These attacks represent the 14th and 15th attacks on commercial shipping by Houthi militants since Oct. 17.
The United States said Friday that Iran was “deeply involved” in the planning of attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels against commercial vessels in the Red Sea, providing weapons as well as “tactical intelligence” to enable the strikes along a critical sea corridor.
U.S. National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said in a statement, citing newly declassified intelligence assessments, that “Iranian support throughout the Gaza crisis has enabled the Houthis to launch attacks against Israel and maritime targets, though Iran has often deferred operational decision-making authority to the Houthis.”
Watson said the U.S. believes that without ongoing Iranian support, “the Houthis would struggle to effectively track and strike commercial vessels.”
“Iranian support to these Houthi operations remains critical,” Watson said. “We know the intelligence picture which the Houthis use to operate in the maritime space is reliant on Iranian-provided monitoring systems.”
Iran, which has long backed the Yemen-based group, has provided unmanned aerial systems, cruise missiles and ballistic missiles to the Houthis, including those used in recent strikes on commercial and military vessels and attempted attacks on Israel, according to the U.S. assessment.
Additionally, the U.S. believes Iran has provided financial, training and tactical support for attacks by the Houthis, who say their strikes aim to end Israel’s offensive in Gaza.
“We have no reason to believe that Iran is trying to dissuade the Houthis from this reckless behavior,” Watson said.