Houthi fires anti-ship ballistic missile, hitting Greek oil tanker

The Houthis appear to be increasing their attacks. This comes as Hezbollah has also increased its threats against Israel in the last week. The Iran-backed Houthis attacked a ship in the Red Sea with an anti-ship missile, U.S. Central Command said May 18.

The ship, the M/T Wind, is a Panamanian-flagged vessel that is Greek-owned and operated, CENTCOM said in a statement. “M/T Wind last docked in Russia and was on its way to China. The ASBM’s impact caused flooding, resulting in the loss of propulsion and control. A coalition ship immediately responded to M/T Wind’s distress call, but no assistance was required. The crew of the M/T Wind was able to restore propulsion and controls and no casualties were reported. “M/T Wind has resumed its course under its own power,” the report said.

This is an interesting report as the Houthis have often refrained from attacking ships linked to Russia or China. The US Central Command condemned the Houthi attacks in a post on social media. “This ongoing vicious and reckless behavior by the Iran-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of sailors in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.”

On May 15, the Houthis also attempted to attack ships with drones. A US ship intercepted the attack. “It was determined that these systems posed an imminent threat to U.S., coalition and merchant shipping forces in the region. “These actions are being taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer for U.S., coalition and commercial vessels,” the U.S. said at the time.

On May 13, the Houthis also launched a drone onto a ship. They also launched a ballistic missile on the same day. US forces destroyed one of the drones and also shot down the ballistic missile. The Houthis also carried out an attack on May 12.

Houthi tribesmen gather to show resistance after US and British airstrikes on Houthi positions near Sanaa, Yemen, February 4, 2024 (Credit: KHALED ABDULLAH/REUTERS)

Coincidence?

Looking at all the attacks, it is clear that the Houthis have attempted to step up attacks to coincide with other Iran-backed escalations in the region. At the same time, the website Axios reported that US envoy Brett McGurk recently held indirect talks with an Iranian delegation in Oman to de-escalate tensions in the region.

In other news, the USS Carney, a US Navy ship that played a key role in combating Iranian-backed threats in the region following the October 7 Hamas attack, returned to the US on May 12. Overall, U.S. Central Command has played a key role in countering Iranian-backed threats, primarily from Yemen. In addition, they helped intercept Iranian missiles fired at Israel on April 14.

Coincidence?

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