Jimu News
Multinational countries shot down drones in the waters of the Red Sea
On December 16, local time, the United States said it had shot down a number of drones from the Houthis in Yemen in the Red Sea. In addition, Britain and Egypt also shot down drones of unknown origin in the Red Sea and coastal areas, respectively.
On the 16th local time, the U.S. Central Command said that the U.S. Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Carney shot down 14 drones from Yemen's Houthis in the Red Sea on the same day. It is reported that no ships were damaged in the area where the incident occurred, and no casualties have been reported so far.
British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said on the same day that a British destroyer, HMS Diamond, shot down a suspected attack drone in the Red Sea, which Shapps said had attempted to launch an attack on a merchant ship, without mentioning the source of the drone. In addition, Egypt's Cairo news channel reported on the 16th that Egyptian air defense forces shot down a suspected drone target in Dahab on the Red Sea coast on the same day, which is about 120 kilometers away from the Eilat region in southern Israel. The origin of the downed target is not yet known.
In recent days, tensions have increased in the Red Sea and nearby seas. Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul Salam reiterated on the 16th that the Houthis will continue to obstruct the navigation of "Israeli ships" in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea until Israel stops its military operations in the Gaza Strip.
The United States said it would build an "international coalition" to deal with the → of this threat
On December 15, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said during a visit to Israel that the U.S. would "take all measures" to address the threat posed by Yemen's Houthis in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea. The goal of the United States is to create an "international coalition" to protect the safety of navigation against Houthi attacks. Sullivan also accused Iran of supporting the Houthis' recent attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
Last week, Mr. Sullivan said the United States was in talks with several countries to create a maritime task force to counter the threat from the Houthis.
In response, Iranian Defense Minister Ashtiani warned that the US-backed maritime task force would face "extraordinary problems" if it were created. However, he did not say what specific measures Iran would take.
The world's largest container shipping line has suspended sailing in the Red Sea
Maersk, the world's largest container shipping company, suspended all its container ships in the Red Sea, as reported by Reuters on December 15. A spokesman for Maersk said in a statement that it had instructed all of the company's vessels that will pass through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, to suspend sailing until further notice.
In addition, the German shipbuilder Hapag-Lloyd also announced on the 15th that it would suspend the navigation of its container ships in the Red Sea until December 18.
Yemen's Houthis said they had taken action against ships heading for Israel
Yemen's Houthis said on December 15 that they had taken military action against cargo ships bound for Israel in support of the Palestinian population in the Gaza Strip.
Yemen's Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarrea issued a statement on the 15th, saying that the Houthis took military action against two cargo ships "Alanya" and "Paratim 3" bound for Israel, and the Houthis fired two missiles at them after the two ships refused to respond to the Houthi warnings. The statement also reiterated that the Houthis will continue to prevent all ships heading to Israeli ports from sailing in the Arabian and Red Seas until the population of the Gaza Strip receives adequate food and medicine.
The U.S. Central Command also issued a statement on the 15th, saying that at about 7 a.m. that day, the Liberian-flagged "Alanya", which was heading north in the southern part of the Red Sea, received a warning from the Houthis and was asked to turn around and head south, but the ship continued to sail north. At around 9 a.m., a drone launched from Houthi-controlled territory attacked another Liberian-flagged Lesra ship sailing in the Red Sea, causing the ship to catch fire, which was subsequently extinguished by the crew. At around 13 o'clock on the same day, the Houthis fired two more missiles at the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, one of which hit the Liberian-flagged "Paratim 3" and caused the ship to catch fire. The ship sent a distress signal, and the USS Mason responded. No casualties have been reported on any of the three vessels.
Since the outbreak of the current round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the Houthis have repeatedly claimed attacks on targets in Israel and "Israeli ships" passing through the Yemeni coast. The Israeli military said on the 13th that it sent four Israeli Navy active main warships, "Saar" Type 6 frigates, to the Red Sea region for the first time to deal with the threat of Yemen's Houthi forces.
Yemen's Houthi rebels have repeatedly attacked Red Sea vessels
Since the outbreak of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict on October 7, Yemen's Houthi rebels have repeatedly claimed to have used missiles and drones to launch strikes against targets in Israel. Since mid-November, the Houthis have expanded their strikes against Israeli targets, beginning strikes on "Israeli-linked vessels" in the Red Sea and escalating related threats.
On 14 November, the Houthis issued a statement announcing that they would take all measures against Israeli vessels in the Red Sea. The Houthis target any Israeli vessel that appears in the Red Sea or in other areas within the reach of the Houthis.
On November 19, the Houthis claimed to have seized an Israeli vessel in the waters of the Red Sea and declared that Israeli-flagged vessels, owned or operated by Israeli companies, were targeted.
On December 3, the Houthis reported an attack on two Israeli ships passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.
On December 9, the Houthis announced that they would "block all ships from sailing to Israel" if humanitarian aid could not enter the Gaza Strip. The statement further explained that all ships bound for Israel "will be targeted by the Houthis", regardless of the flag of the vessel or the nationality of the owner or operator.
On December 12, the Houthis claimed to have launched a missile attack on a Norwegian-flagged oil tanker. The tanker was loaded with oil and was on its way to Israel.
On December 14 and 15, the Houthis again claimed to have launched attacks on several ships sailing in the Red Sea.
Source: CCTV News, CCTV Finance
Editor: Luo Ting
Review: Wei Xi