The Houthis continue to destabilize the Red Sea in the face of a new attack on Israel from …

The Houthis are continuing their offensive against merchant ships in the Red Sea following the sinking of the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned Tutor a few days ago. The attack on the ship, the second to be sunk during the Yemeni rebels’ campaign against shipping in the region, marks a new escalation by the Iranian-backed militia during the retreat of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.

The aircraft carrier that led the US response to the Houthis’ threats has left the region after more than seven months. In its place, US officials said, The USS Theodore Roosevelt – currently in the Pacific – will head to the Middle East to maintain Washington’s presence in the region.

The arrival of the USS Theodore Roosevelt in the Middle East coincides with increasing tensions between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, which is allied with Tehran, raising fears of a full-scale war that a regional conflict.

Following the withdrawal of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Houthis have continued their attacks on ships transiting the Gulf of Aden. Yemeni rebels even claimed to have hit the US aircraft carrier, a claim denied by Washington.

In the last few hours, the British Army’s UK Maritime Trade Operations Centre (UKMTO) reported an incident off the coast of Aden. According to UKMTO, the captain of a merchant vessel reported that a missile had hit the water very close to the ship. The crew is safe and the ship is on its way to its next port of call, UKMTO added.

Over the weekend, British authorities also claimed that the captain of a ship attacked on Friday evening had “Explosions near the ship”.

According to AP to count, The Houthis have launched more than 60 attacks on ships with missiles and drones, killing a total of four sailorsSince November, Yemeni rebels have also hijacked one ship and sunk two.

The Houthis claim that their attacks target ships linked to Israel, the US or Britain. Many of the ships attacked have no connection to these countries or to the war between Israel and Hamas.

Over and beyond, At least 16 people have been killed and 42 injured in US-led air strikes against the Houthis since January.said Yemeni rebels.

The threats posed by the Houthis also extend to the air. The rebels seized commercial aircraft carrying Hajj pilgrims back to the country. said the internationally recognized government of Yemen.

“The Houthis have stopped four planes at Sanaa International Airport and prevented them from returning to Jeddah Airport to transport pilgrims from our country who wanted to return to Sanaa,” Minister Mohammed Shabiba wrote on his social media. “I call on our honorable pilgrims to settle in their homes until the planes hijacked by the Houthis terrorist group return,” he added.

This escalation of the Houthis coincides with a new attack on Israel by pro-Iranian militias in IraqAccording to the Israeli army, a drone landed “off the coast of Eilat” on the Red Sea, which led to the activation of anti-aircraft sirens in the area. The drone “was monitored by soldiers throughout the incident and did not enter Israeli territory,” said the army.

The Houthis have also attacked Eilat with drones and missiles in the past, although all attacks were intercepted.However, the attack was claimed by an Iranian-backed group known as the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. This militia and Yemeni rebels began so-called “joint operations” against Israel months ago in the wake of the war in the Gaza Strip.

Read more