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Conflict in Yemen and the Red Sea

U.S., UK Strike Houthis in Yemen Following Red Sea Attacks

  • U.S. and United Kingdom (UK) forces launched airstrikes overnight on more than a dozen Houthi rebel targets in Yemen in retaliation for their attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea; Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands also participated in the operation (NYT)
  • U.S. President Joe Biden said that Washington and its partners would not tolerate attacks on its personnel or efforts to block freedom of navigation, while the Houthis said at least five of their fighters had been killed and that the strikes would “not go unanswered or unpunished” (AP)
  • A group of thirty-nine navies, including the United States and the UK, advised the global shipping industry to temporarily stay away from the strait connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden (Bloomberg)

U.S., UK Forces Shoot Down Twenty-One Houthi Drones, Missiles in Red Sea

  • The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen launched a barrage of missiles and drones into areas where merchant ships were traveling yesterday, and U.S. and United Kingdom (UK) forces shot down eighteen attack drones and three missiles; U.S. Central Command said it reiterated that Houthis “will bear the responsibility” of continued disruptions in the waterway (CNN)

Houthis Launch Sea Drone to Attack Ships

  • The United States warned Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen to stop attacking ships in the Red Sea hours before the launch; the sea drone exploded near U.S. and commercial ships in the waterway (AP)

India Deploys Warships to Arabian Sea After Drone Strike on Commercial Ship

  • The Indian Navy inspected the attacked ship after it arrived in Mumbai, saying they could not immediately determine the source of the strike that occurred on Saturday; the attack comes amid increasing strikes in the Red Sea reportedly by Iran-backed Houthi rebels (NDTV)

Over One Hundred Container Ships Alter Route Amid Surge in Houthi Attacks

  • Swiss logistics firm Kuehne+Nagel said container ships that usually transit the Red Sea are taking alternative routes around Africa or by air or rail; the rerouting reflects the cost of conflict in a waterway that carries 12 percent of global trade (Bloomberg)

U.S. Announces Ten-Nation Maritime Task Force to Guard Commercial Ships in Red Sea

  • The task force will conduct joint patrols and provide intelligence support in the wake of attacks on commercial shipping vessels in the waterway by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen; the attacks have damaged ships and prompted some companies to halt their operations until the area is more secure (AP)

U.S., UK Ships Down Fifteen Suspected Houthi-Launched Drones

  • UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said the Royal Navy shot down a drone that was “targeting merchant shipping” (AP)

Houthi Rebels Claim Attack on Nrwegian Commercial Tanker

  • This marks the latest in a string of such attacks protesting Israel’s bombardment of Gaza; the tanker was delivering crude oil to an Israeli terminal, a Houthi military spokesperson said (Reuters).

French Warship Shoots Down Two Drones Launched From Yemen

  • The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen had previously said they would target all ships heading to Israel, and France’s defense ministry said these drones were targeting its warship (Reuters)

U.S. Does Not Rule Out Retaliatory Strikes Against Yemen’s Houthi Rebels

  • Despite exercising restraint in the immediate wake of recent attacks on commercial ships by Iran-backed Houthi rebels, U.S. Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer said that the United States reserves the right to use force against the Houthis (Bloomberg)

U.S. and Middle East Allies Considering Commercial Ship Task Force

  • The plan to escort commercial ships in the Red Sea follows three missile attacks yesterday claimed by the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said (AP)

Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Claim Attacks on Red Sea Vessels

  • The Iran-backed Houthi rebels said they struck two commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea with ballistic missiles, while the United States said three ships were hit; during the assault, U.S. forces shot down three drones (AP)

Houthi Rebels Seize Cargo Ship Off Yemeni Coast

  • The Iran-backed group took the ship’s twenty-five crew members hostage, citing the ship’s links to Israel; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the seizure an “act of Iranian terrorism” (AP)

Yemen’s Houthi Rebels Launch Another Round of Missiles at Israel

  • The group’s statement on the attack said it targeted “varied and sensitive” targets and forced Israeli bases and airports to pause operations (Reuters)

Israel Deploys Missile Boats in Red Sea to Combat Threat from Yemen’s Houthis

  • The move comes a day after the Houthis claimed to have launched missiles at Israel and vowed to continue attacks; Israel’s National Security Adviser said he would not tolerate Houthi attacks but did not specify how Israel would respond (Reuters)

Yemen’s Houthis Claim to Have Launched Aerial Attack on Israel

  • The group said it launched a “large batch” of missiles and drones at Israel in its third attack “in support of [its] persecuted brothers in Palestine;” Israel’s aerial defense system intercepted the attack (NYT)

Israel Implies Missile That Hit Egypt Likely Launched From Yemen

  • The Israeli Defense Forces said that the missile that struck the town of Taba originated from “the Red Sea area;” the incident comes a week after U.S. and Saudi forces shot down missiles fired toward Israel from Yemen (Times of Israel)

U.S. Destroyer Shoots Down Missiles Potentially Headed Toward Israel from Yemen

  • The ship intercepted three missiles, which the Pentagon said were fired by Houthi rebels in the direction of Israel; it marks the first direct U.S. action in defense of Israel in the ongoing war with Hamas (ABC)

UN Envoy Meets with Yemeni Officials in Riyadh to Discuss Next Steps

  • The envoy, Hans Grundberg, also met with regional and international officials on a trip to discuss measures to achieve a nationwide ceasefire, an improvement in living conditions, and an inclusive peace process in Yemen (UN)

Yemen’s National Airline Resumes Flights from Sanaa

  • Yemeni officials said commercial flights to Amman, Jordan, would resume after a brief spat over airline funds that caused a suspension (Reuters)

Yemen’s Houthis Threaten to Fire Missiles if U.S. Intervenes in Gaza

  • The group’s leader said direct U.S. intervention was a red line and that the Houthis are prepared to coordinate with other groups to intervene if necessary; Iran-linked Iraqi militias have also said they would intervene (Reuters)

Nearly Fifty NGOs Warn of Deteriorating Economic Conditions in Yemen

  • Though the country already faced deep economic challenges, the group, in a joint letter, wrote that “rising inflation and the deterioration of public services are making life unbearable” as high-level talks fail to produce a truce (AFP)

Yemen’s National Airline Halts Flights from Sanaa to Amman

  • The cessation of flights between the Yemeni and Jordanian capitals comes as the airline and Houthi rebels were unable to come to an agreement on the withdrawal of airline funds from banks in Sanaa (Reuters)

Four Bahraini Soldiers Die in Suspected Houthi Attack on Saudi Border

  • The Houthi rebels have not yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but the Saudi-led coalition said it reserves the right to respond at any time (AP)

Flare-Ups in Yemen Conflict Put Peace at Risk

  • Yemen’s Houthi movement said a Saudi-led coalition killed twelve Houthi soldiers in the last month, while the coalition said the Houthis killed two Bahraini army personnel and attacked facilities near the Saudi border, breaking a relative lull in recent fighting; U.S. and UN envoys called for restraint and continued peace talks (Reuters)