While this isn’t the first time the Houthis have attacked ships passing through the Red Sea, they’ve never targeted tankers and cargo vessels this frequently. The rebels have fired missiles and tried to board and take control of some of the ships, largely without success. Some have been damaged but none have yet been sunk and there were no reports of major injuries for now. Many of the attacks are launched from near the Bab al-Mandab strait that ships pass through to enter the Red Sea from the Indian Ocean. The Houthis managed to capture an Israeli-owned car carrier called the Galaxy Leader in November, and it’s become a sight-seeing attraction at the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.
A spate of missile strikes on ships plying the Red Sea has caused the biggest disruption to global trade since the pandemic. The attacks are the work of Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militants. They say they are targeting vessels with links to Israel to protest against its military campaign in the Gaza Strip, though ships with no direct connection to Israel have been affected. Shipping companies have rerouted much of the Red Sea’s normal traffic around the southern tip of Africa, a lengthier and costlier journey. Western governments launched a naval operation to try to combat the Houthi attacks, but many shipowners are yet to be persuaded to return to their regular routes.
