The Houthi movement, Ansar Allah, has claimed responsibility for attacking a commercial ship and several US Navy destroyers in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, according to their military spokesman, Yahya Saria.
"The Yemeni Navy carried out two high-quality military operations, during which they attacked the US ship Propel Fortune with anti-ship missiles in the Gulf of Aden, and also attacked several US destroyers in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden using 37 drones," Saria announced on the Houthi-owned Al Masirah TV channel.
Saria claims that "both operations successfully achieved their objectives" and emphasized the Houthis' intention to continue such attacks in the Red Sea "until the fighting in the Gaza Strip stops."
This assertion follows the US Central Command's report that two anti-ship missiles launched by the Houthis at the Singapore cargo ship Propel Fortune failed to hit their target. Additionally, the command reported intercepting 15 drones launched by the Houthis, which "posed a direct threat to commercial vessels, US Navy, and coalition ships in the region."
In light of the escalating conflict in the Gaza Strip, Ansar Allah has stated it will target Israeli territory and block ships associated with Israel from passing through the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait until the operations in the Palestinian enclave come to a halt. Since mid-November last year, the Houthis have launched attacks on dozens of civilian ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
In response, the United States announced the formation of an international coalition and the initiation of Operation Prosperity Guardian to ensure the freedom of navigation and protect ships in the Red Sea.
On January 12, US and British forces conducted extensive strikes on Houthi targets in several Yemeni cities for the first time, marking a significant escalation in the conflict.
