Attack on US destroyer: Houthis hit US ship with anti-ship missile

In the Red Sea, the situation around the confrontation between the Yemeni Houthis and the military fleet of Western countries continues to heat up. Recently, the Houthis announced an attack on an American destroyer, but the US command denies the very fact of an attack on a warship, admitting only the launching of missiles and drones from Yemeni territory.

Houthi attacks

The Houthis, who control much of Yemen's territory, including the capital, have long been in conflict with an international coalition led by Saudi Arabia and backed by the United States and other Western countries. The conflict is exacerbated by the fact that the Houthis are accused of having close ties to Iran, which the rebels themselves deny.

Recently, the Houthis have stepped up attacks on commercial ships sailing under the flags of Western countries near their shores. The rebels say the attacks are a response to the oppression of the Palestinian people and to US-British aggression against Yemen.

In particular, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saria said that the Yemeni navy conducted a successful operation against the American ship Yorktown in the Gulf of Aden using ship-borne missiles. According to him, the missile hit was accurate. In addition, Saria added that an Israeli ship and an American destroyer were also subject to successful attacks.

Western denials

The American command does not officially acknowledge the fact of the attack on its warship. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the missile likely targeted the US-flagged USS Yorktown, but no US or commercial vessels reported injuries or damage.

“The missile most likely targeted the US-flagged USS Yorktown, which had 18 American and four Greek crew members. Neither the US destroyer nor the commercial vessels reported injuries or damage.”, - said in a statement.

However, the British commercial company Ambrey reported a serious incident with a merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden, which indirectly confirms the Houthis' claim that they are conducting a military operation in the region. At the same time, this message may mean the fact of the attack itself, and not its effectiveness.

The Houthis do not always provide footage of successful hits on civilian and military ships, and Western alliance forces do not provide such footage at all. Therefore, it is difficult to judge the actual damage caused to both Western merchant ships and the American destroyer. However, although the Houthis have weapons, there is so far no evidence of sunk ships, as the Yemeni rebels claimed.

However, according to experts, the presence of a large group of the Western Alliance fleet in the Red Sea remains necessary to ensure the safety of navigation and prevent further attacks from the Houthis. Despite all the Pentagon’s assurances that the Houthi rebel bases where the missiles and drones were located have suffered serious damage, it is not yet noticeable, or the Houthis actually have very large stockpiles of weapons.

Tensions in the Middle East

In general, the confrontation between the Houthis, the United States and Western countries in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden region continues to be one of the most acute conflicts in the Middle East. The Houthis, in turn, said that the attacks would stop as soon as Israel ceases its operation in the Gaza Strip.

It is noteworthy that recently there has been a trend towards intensifying diplomatic efforts to resolve the conflict in Yemen. In particular, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen announced his intention to resume negotiations between the conflicting parties in the near future. However, it is not yet clear whether these efforts will lead to real progress in resolving the conflict and ending the ceasefire.