The two attacks demonstrated the Houthis' clear intent and ability to continue their attacks on commercial ships, days after the United States and Britain began launching air strikes against the group aimed at deterring naval attacks. Using missiles and drones, Yemeni militants have carried out more than twenty attacks in the Red Sea since the beginning of November.
The Red Sea, which is connected to the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal, is one of the most important shipping routes in the world. About 12% of total global trade passes through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, according to the US Maritime Institute.
The Houthis have controlled a large area of Yemen since the overthrow of the central government in 2014. The group said its attacks in the Red Sea aim to end the Israeli blockade and attack on the Gaza Strip.
A statement by the Houthi naval forces, reported by the group's Al-Masirah news channel, on Monday, said that they “will continue to prevent Israeli ships” or those heading to Israeli ports from crossing “until the aggression and siege on Gaza stops.”
The Houthis did not immediately comment on the attack on the M/V Gibraltar Eagle. Eagle Bulk Shipping, the ship's operating company, confirmed in a statement that the ship was hit by an unidentified projectile while sailing about 100 miles offshore in the Gulf of Aden.
The company said there was limited damage to the goods, but there were no casualties. The statement said that the ship was carrying steel products.
Monday's attacks highlighted the challenge facing the Biden administration and its international partners after they pledged to hold the Houthis accountable as well as Iran, the group's main backer, for the sharp rise in attacks that have disrupted commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
Experts on the Houthis say they are unlikely to be deterred. The group survived after fighting several wars against the Yemeni central government in the early 2000s, absorbed years of airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition over the past decade during Yemen's ongoing civil conflict, and emerged stronger than before.
The Houthi attacks, and the joint US-British response, have exacerbated fears that the Israeli war in Gaza will extend beyond the besieged Palestinian enclave and engulf the region in violence.
Senior US officials publicly blame Tehran for “aiding and abetting” the crisis, saying the Houthis would not be able to threaten the shipping route without Iran’s technological and intelligence support. On Thursday, US and British forces bombed several sites in Yemen that officials said were being used by the Houthis to launch their attacks.
The Pentagon said the operation targeted radar stations, missile launch sites, and weapons storage facilities. A senior US general later indicated that the group may still pose a threat.
