Yemen Houthi rebel group has claimed responsibility for drone attacks aimed at the Israeli port city of Eilat and a commercial vessel in the Red Sea. The Iran-backed group is escalating its attacks, citing a strategy to pressure Israel into ending its conflict in Gaza.
On Tuesday, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea stated that the group executed drone attacks not only on Eilat but also on “other areas in occupied Palestine.” Additionally, Sarea mentioned that the group launched missiles at the MSC United vessel in the Red Sea after the vessel allegedly ignored three warning calls.
MSC Mediterranean confirmed that MSC United VIII, which was en route from King Abdullah port in Saudi Arabia to Karachi, Pakistan, came under attack on Tuesday but that the crew was safe. The shipping company says it is conducting an assessment and reported the incident to the US-led naval coalition in the Red Sea.
The statement comes several hours after a British maritime group said it received reports of an incident involving a vessel off the coast of Yemen, saying that drones were sighted and an explosion was heard.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported on Tuesday that the incident occurred approximately 60 nautical miles (111 km) outside of Yemen’s Hodeidah port. According to Al Jazeera correspondent Resul Serdar in Djibouti, East Africa, a commercial shipping vessel faced an attack by two suicide drones. Fortunately, the drones did not cause any damage to the ship. The vessel is reported to be safe and continuing its voyage, with constant communication established with the naval coalition led by the United States. Yemen Houthi rebel
These incidents occur against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the Red Sea, marked by the Houthi rebel group’s ongoing targeting of commercial vessels as a show of solidarity with the Palestinians. This pattern of attacks has persisted for several weeks, contributing to an atmosphere of unrest and volatility in the region.