The Houthis Announced That They Attacked a US Merchant Ship
Jose Nino
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On January 31, 2024, the Houthis announced that their naval units launched an operation targeting an American merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden hours after they fired missiles at US Navy destroyer Gravely.
They targeted the “American merchant ship KOI … with several appropriate naval missiles,” Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea recounted in a statement.
KOI is a Liberian-flagged container ship that is operated by British-based Oceonix Services. According to shipping data, the company‘s fleet featured the oil tanker Marlin Luanda, which received damage from a missile attack on January 27.
On January 31, Ambrey, a British maritime security company, announced that a merchant vessel reported having suffered an explosion on its starboard after it was struck by a missile as it voyaged 69 nautical miles southwest of Aden, Yemen.
“Ambrey was aware that a missile was fired from Dimnat Khadir District, Taiz Governorate, Yemen,” it said in an advisory note.
At the time, Ambrey did not reveal that the vessel was the KOI.
Since November 19, the Houthis, which are alleged to have received military aid from Iran, have launched multiple drone and missile attacks against commercial vessels that belong to the US and its close allies. The Houthis have launched these attacks in response to Israel’s punitive military campaign in Gaza.
The Houthi’s attacks have destabilized international shipping, which has prompted some companies to stop voyages through the Red Sea. Instead, they have embarked on voyages that go around the Cape of Africa — a voyage that is much longer and more expensive.
For their part, the Americans and British have carried out strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. The US has re-labeled the Houthis as a terrorist organization as the Middle East continues to go down a volatile geopolitical route.
For the sake of not only maintaining geopolitical stability but also keeping economic affairs in order, the US would be wise to stop backing Israel’s campaign in Gaza and stop trying to intervene in Yemen on the Saudi’s behalf.
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