Former Government-Allied Fighters Seize Houthi-Bound Iranian Weapons
Members from the National Resistance Force, a group allied with Tariq Saleh and Yemen’s exiled government, announced that they had seized 750 tons of Iranian missiles and weaponry bound for the Houthis in late June; the weapons included anti-ship missiles, Type 358 anti-aircraft missiles, drone components, and warheads (AP)
Additionally, a missile allegedly fired by the Houthis that triggered sirens across Israel was intercepted by Israeli forces (Reuters)
Israeli Forces Intercept Attempted Houthi Missile Strike at Ben Gurion Airport
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree said that Houthi forces fired a ballistic missile targeted at Israel’s Ben Gurion Airport, but Israel’s military intercepted the missile (Al Jazeera)
After the Houthis attacked the Eternity C boat in the Red Sea, causing it to sink, the U.S. Mission to Yemen accused the Iran-backed rebels of kidnapping crew members, while the European Union’s Operation Aspides claimed to have rescued ten of the twenty-five crew members from the water (CNN). The Houthis claimed the attack and released video of them launching missiles; the group also claimed it had taken some of the ship’s survivors to an undisclosed location (AP)
China Denies German Laser Allegation
After Germany claimed that a Chinese warship fired a laser at a German military plane over the Red Sea, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning rejected the claim, emphasizing that the German accusation is “totally inconsistent with the facts known by the Chinese side” (Reuters)
Red Sea Vessel Attacks
Three crew members are reportedly dead after a drone and boat attack on a Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned cargo ship, according to an EU naval force; the EU force and Yemen’s exiled government said the Houthis were responsible, though the group did not immediately claim the attack (AP)
The rebels did claim an attack on a different bulk cargo ship hours earlier, which they said sank (Guardian)
Also in the Red Sea, a German aircraft was reportedly lasered by a Chinese warship “without any reason or prior contact”; Germany’s Foreign Office summoned the Chinese ambassador in Berlin to address the event (AP)
Israel Launches Airstrikes at Houthi Sites
In response to repeated missile and drone attacks on Israeli civilians and infrastructure, Israel struck Houthi ports at Hodeida, Ras Isa, and Salif, as well as the Ras Kanatib power plant, and the Galaxy Leader, a vehicle-carrying ship seized by the Houthis in November 2023; casualties and damages were not confirmed (AP)
After Israel’s strikes, the Houthis retaliated by firing two missiles at the West Bank and southern Israel, causing unconfirmed casualties (BBC)
Additionally, Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for an attack on a Greek-owned cargo ship that forced twenty-two crewmembers to abandon the vessel; Houthi spokesperson and Brigadier General Yahya Saree said that the Houthis used missiles and drone-carrying boats to attack the ship, which he claimed has since sunk (AP)
According to a report by Haaretz and Lloyd’s List, the VLCC Yemen, an oil tanker operated by the Houthis, was purchased for $55 million before the war in Gaza to support the Houthi rebels. Since then, the UN Development Program has been paying $450,000 per month to cover the tanker’s maintenance costs and crew salaries (Haaretz; Lloyd’s List)
For the past two years, the tanker has allegedly been used as a floating storage facility for Russian oil (Haaretz)
Greek-Owned Cargo Ship Attacked in Red Sea
A Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned cargo ship was targeted by a group using small arms, rocket-propelled grenades, and bomb-carrying drone boats; the crew members abandoned the vessel as it took on water (AP)
IDF Intercepts Missile Fired by Houthis
A ballistic missile shot from Yemen toward the Dead Sea and parts of the West Bank was successfully repelled by the Israel Defense Forces (Times of Israel, Jerusalem Post)
Israel Vows Retaliation After Intercepting Houthi Missile
Defense Minister Israel Katz said that Israel would strike back after his country intercepted a Houthi missile; he stated that “whoever raises a hand against Israel—that hand will be cut off” (Reuters)
Houthis to Continue Military Operations Against Israel
Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a Houthi senior political official and spokesman for the Houthi militants, claimed that the ceasefire between Israel and Iran does not apply to them, and they would continue military operations until Israel’s aggression in Gaza stops (WSJ)
Houthi-Controlled Port City of Hudaydah Targeted by Israeli Navy
In response to Houthi missiles allegedly targeting Israel, Israeli navy ships struck Houthi targets in the port city of Hudaydah; the attack was uniquely carried out by navy ships, as opposed to aircraft, and casualties were unconfirmed (BBC)
Houthis Launch Missile Headed Towards Israel
Israel’s military said that its forces intercepted the missile that targeted Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv, which comes after the Houthis fired a ballistic missile that struck near the airport in the past week (Reuters)
Egypt Cuts Canal Fees
Large ships will get a 15 percent discount on passage fees for the Suez Canal for ninety days, the canal authority said; the move is intended to encourage more traffic, given the relative stability in the Red Sea region after the United States and Yemen’s Houthi rebels reached a truce (Bloomberg)
Monthly revenue from the Suez Canal has dropped by more than half since the Houthis’ current campaign against international ships began in late 2023 (Reuters)
Israel Urges Civilians to Evacuate Houthi-Controlled Ports
Israel’s military called on civilians to stay away from ports in Ras Issa, Salif, and Hodeida, the latter of which was struck by Israeli airstrikes in the past week; the statement came after Israel launched strikes on Yemen following a Houthi missile strike on May 4 that hit Israel’s primary international airport (France24)
U.S. Jet Falls Into Red Sea
A navy fighter jet worth $67 million fell into the Red Sea on Tuesday, after a system failed that usually allows it to park aboard an aircraft carrier; no one died in the incident (WaPo)
It was the second Navy fighter jet lost in the sea in less than two weeks: the previous one slid off the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Harry S. Truman when it was moving to reposition itself during Houthi fire, unnamed Defense Department officials told the New York Times (NYT)
U.S.-Houthi Truce
The United States and Yemen’s Houthi rebels agreed to cease hostilities against each other, mediator Oman said; the United States had carried out a military campaign against the Iran-backed group for almost two months (Reuters)
The agreement comes as Oman also helps with nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran (Bloomberg)
It does not apply to hostilities between the Houthis and Israel, which struck the main airport in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa (WaPo)
Houthis Will Repeatedly Target Israeli Airports in Response to Israel’s Growing Operations in Gaza
A Houthi rocket landed in the area of Israel’s main international airport yesterday; the Houthis said they would continuously target Israeli airports in rejection of Israel’s expanding campaign in Gaza (Reuters)
In response, Israeli strikes targeted nine sites in Hodeidah in Yemen, including a port and cement factory; Israel’s military stated that the Houthi rebels used the factory for their “tunnels and military infrastructure” (Al Jazeera)
Houthi officials said at least one person was killed and dozens were wounded (CNN)
UK Joins U.S. Airstrike on Houthi Rebels
The UK’s military stated that its air force carried out the strikes in Sanaa against facilities that manufacture drones, which the Houthis employ in strikes on the Red Sea; this latest strike marks the first UK joint action with the United States against the Houthis since the start of the Trump administration (AP)
The UK had previously cooperated on some strikes under President Joe Biden (NYT)
The Houthis recently shot down seven U.S. Reaper drones, unnamed U.S. officials told the Associated Press (AP)
Reported U.S. Strike on Migrant Center
A U.S. strike overnight on a detention center in Houthi-controlled Yemen killed at least sixty-eight African migrants, the Houthi television channel reported; the U.S. military did not immediately comment (BBC)
U.S. Central Command said yesterday that its strikes against the Houthis had hit more than eight hundred targets and killed hundreds of Houthi fighters since March 15 (Straits Times)
Israeli Military Intercepts Missile Launched by Houthi Rebels
The ballistic missile targeted the Israeli city of Haifa (Al Jazeera)
At Least Twelve Killed in U.S. Air Strikes on Sana’a
The latest attack on Yemen’s capital comes as U.S. strikes targeting Houthi rebels have escalated in the past week; since March, the United States’ bombing campaign has killed around two hundred people in Yemen (Al Jazeera)
US. Air Strikes on Oil Port in Yemen Kill at Least Seventy
U.S. air strikes on the Ras Isa oil port mark the first U.S. attack on such a facility controlled by Houthi rebels; the Houthis’ news channel stated that the strikes also injured over one hundred and seventy people near the port, which is located off the Red Sea (AP)
U.S. Department of State Accuses Chinese Satellite Company of Aiding Houthis
U.S. officials stated that the Chinese firm, Chang Guang Satellite Technology Company Limited, provides Houthi rebels in Yemen with precise imagery to target U.S. warships and shipping vessels in the Red Sea (Reuters)
U.S. Increases Aircraft Carrier Deployments Ahead of Nuclear Talks
Satellite imagery indicated that the United States deployed a second aircraft carrier to the Arabian Sea (AP)
This deployment comes after suspected U.S. air strikes targeting Houthi rebels in Yemen killed at least seven people and wounded an additional twenty-nine (AP)
U.S. Defense Officials Warn of Munitions Drain From Airstrikes on Houthi Rebels
Anonymous officials stated that U.S. commanders remain concerned that increased strikes on the Houthis in Yemen will force the military to start using munitions from stockpiles reserved for Asia-Pacific contingencies, which are intended to deter China (NYT)
Human Rights Groups State That U.S. Airstrikes in Yemen Exacerbating Humanitarian Crisis
Human rights groups stressed that persistent airstrikes by the United States in Sanaa have struck residential areas and civilian sites, such as schools; the Yemen Data Project stated that the first week of U.S. strikes killed over twenty-five civilians (Guardian)