In Eilat, in the only city in Israel that faces the Red Sea, the sky is blue, there are only a few scattered clouds and nothing predicts a storm. But there is. Yemen’s Houthi rebels, a Shiite militia backed by Iran, said last week they will “respond” to the US and UK offensive against their bases. The answer has arrived. And doubly so. This morning Washington confirmed that he shot down an anti-ship cruise missile fired by the militia at one of its ships in the Red Sea. This afternoon, however, a ship transiting the Gulf of Aden, south of Yemen, was hit by one of its missiles, the British Navy reports.
According to the United Kingdom, the incident occurred about 95 nautical miles (175 kilometers) from the coast, and the vessel suffered damage to the port side. The vessel is the bulk carrier Gibraltar Eagle, which sailed under the flag of the Marshall Islands, but whose ownership is related to a company from Connecticut, United States.
Shortly after, witnesses on the ground have stated that there has been a new round of aerial bombardments near the airport of Al Hudaydah, a port town in Yemen controlled by the Houthi rebels, according to Efe.
This morning, however, and as reported by the United States central command, one of its combat aircraft also acted against a projectile launched at 4:45 a.m. local time from a Yemeni area controlled by the Houthis. The target was the USS Laboon, a destroyer, and caused no damage. It was the first response from the militia that Washington recognizes since the joint offensive with the United Kingdom last Friday against its bases.
One attack after another adds even more uncertainty in a location that is central to global maritime trade, since around 15% of everything transported by sea crosses these waters.
Some of the largest maritime operators in the world therefore maintain the decision to redirect their vessels bound for Europe and the Mediterranean Sea through Africa to avoid the Strait of Bab el Mandeb, bordering Yemen.
Traffic through the Red Sea is estimated to have decreased by more than 40% since the start of the Houthi attacks, and the shock wave reaches the Red Sea ports, but in particular to Egypt, which loses day after day of crisis new income that until now it received from the passage of ships through the Suez Canal. The moment is delicate for its economy.
But it is also true for the global energy market. And in particular, for gas and oil originating in the Middle East, because at least five liquefied natural gas vessels operated by Qatar heading to the southern end of the Red Sea have, Bloomberg reports, been detained since Friday. And in the case of the oil tankers, the same thing happens, since at least six, cited by Reuters, were leaving the area.
Allies have advised merchant ships to stay away from the region.
Since November, Yemen’s Houthis have carried out at least 26 attacks against cargo ships transiting the Strait of Bab el Mandeb and the Red Sea, according to the militia, for being linked to Israel and in support of Hamas in Gaza. And they always insist that they will continue with their strategy, despite the actions led by the United States.
Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East, at war for a decade, is the one that now attracts all eyes beyond Gaza. And in Yemen uncertainty rules.
