Red Sea crisis

[wjfox]

Time for a thread on this, I think.

More info here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Sea_crisis

Latest...


Houthis attack British-linked tanker Marlin Luanda in Gulf of Aden

25 minutes ago

A tanker with links to the UK was on fire for several hours in the Gulf of Aden after being hit by a missile fired by the Houthis.

The Iran-backed movement, based in Yemen, said it targeted the Marlin Luanda on Friday in response to "American-British aggression".

The US and UK have launched air strikes on Houthi targets in response to attacks on ships in the Red Sea region.

[...]

In an update on Saturday, Trafigura said all crew were safe and that the fire in a cargo tank had been put out. The ship was now sailing towards a safe harbour, the company said.

It is the latest attack on commercial shipping by the Houthis in and around the Red Sea. The group says it is targeting vessels in the region in support of Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is fighting Hamas.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-68110358



Credit: Indian Navy

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USS Carney Defends Itself From Missile Attack, Tanker Reportedly Hit
by Thomas Newdick
January 26, 2024

Introduction:

(The Drive) U.S. Navy destroyer was forced to defend itself today after it came under direct attack from a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM). According to one U.S. military source, this is the first time a U.S. warship has been unequivocally targeted by the Yemen-based militants since the start of Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, although this appears to be at odds with some previous statements.

Regardless, in the last two days, the U.S. Navy has been called into action more than once as the Houthis keep up their campaign directed primarily against shipping in and around the Red Sea, leading to significant disruption to global trade.

At approximately 1:30 p.m. (Sanaa time) today, the Houthis fired a single ASBM from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen toward the Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Carney (DDG-64) in the Gulf of Aden, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). The missile was successfully shot down by USS Carney, with no injuries or damage reported.

USS Carney has previously engaged Houthi missiles and drones on numerous occasions. It was the first warship to down Houthi weapons in the conflict when it used SM-2 missiles, and potentially other effectors to destroy multiple Houthi drones and missiles fired toward Israel in October

Additional extract:

Readers (Reuters?) now reports that China has reached out to Iran and requested they rein in their Houthi proxies, with a warning that key business between Tehran and Beijing, including large sums of oil exports, are at risk. China has so far totally sat out from intervening in the crisis around the Red Sea, opting to not take part in any maritime action to secure the critical shipping artery.

Read more of The Drive article here: https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/ ... tedly-hit

Read the cited Reuters article here: https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/ ... tedly-hit

The Reuters link may not last very long as their articles tend to be taken down after a relatively short time.

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Houthis Accuse U.S., U.K. of Targeting Ras Isa Oil Terminal in Hodeidah
by Saeed Al-Batati
January 28, 2024

Introduction:

(Eurasia Review) Yemen’s Houthi militia said on Saturday that the US and UK militaries carried out two airstrikes on the Red Sea Ras Isa port in Yemen’s western province of Hodeidah.

This comes as Trafigura, an international trading corporation, said that it had extinguished a fire on one of its ships in the Red Sea caused by a Houthi missile hit.

Houthi-run Al-Masira TV reported that the US and UK struck Ras Isa port on Saturday morning, which has an oil export facility and is close to the decaying floating oil ship Safer that has captured the world’s attention over the past several years.

Without naming the target site, the US Central Command said that its forces conducted an airstrike at about 3:45 a.m. (Sanaa time) on Saturday against an anti-ship missile that the Houthis were about to fire.

Yemen’s oil exports from the central province of Marib pass through Ras Isa in Hodeidah, while oil from the southern provinces of Hadramout and Shabwa pass through Arabian Sea oil terminals.

Read more here: https://www.eurasiareview.com/28012024 ... odeidah/

[weatheriscool]

Biden promises retaliation after 3 US troops are killed in Jordan, escalating Middle East conflict

Source: Business Insider

Jan 28, 2024, 1:24 PM EST

A drone attack killed three US service members and injured at least 25 others in Jordan, near the Syria border, on Saturday, according to President Joe Biden.

The deaths are the first US military fatalities connected to the conflict in Gaza, which began last October.

While US officials have blamed the attack on an "Iranian-backed" group, it has not yet specified exactly which one they think is responsible, according to The Associated Press. Hamas is thought to be back by Iran, as is Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Houthis in Yemen. The Houthis have been launching drone attacks on ships in the Red Sea for months.

Biden said the United States is "still gathering the facts" regarding Saturday's "despicable and wholly unjust" attack. He pledged retaliation. "Have no doubt — we will hold all those responsible to account at a time and in a manner of our choosing," the president said on Sunday.

Read more: https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-u ... ack-2024-1

[wjfox]

Britain set to deploy aircraft carrier to Red Sea to counter Iran-backed Houthi attacks

31 January 2024, 01:09

Britain could send an aircraft carrier to the Red Sea to counter Iran-backed Houthi attacks, a government minister has suggested.

James Heappey indicated a British aircraft carrier could be sent to the Middle East to replace the already deployed USS Dwight D Eisenhower when it returns to America.

The UK has already joined the US in multiple airstrikes on Hothi targets and has already deployed its warship the HMS Diamond to the Red Sea. It is intended the position of the ship would protect the trading route previously targeted by Houthi rebels.

Speaking to the House Magazine, Mr Heappey, the Minister of State for the Armed Forces, said a UK aircraft carrier could "plug a gap" in the future.

https://www.lbc.co.uk/news/britain-depl ... an-houthi/



Picture: Alamy

[wjfox]

Two killed in Houthi missile attack on cargo ship - US officials

32 minutes ago

Two crew members have been killed in a Houthi missile strike on a cargo ship off southern Yemen, US officials say - the first deaths the group's attacks on merchant vessels have caused.

The Barbados-flagged True Confidence had been abandoned and was drifting with a fire on board, managers said.

It was hit in the Gulf of Aden at about 09:30 GMT, they added.

The Houthis say their attacks are to support the Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

In a statement, the Iran-backed group said the True Confidence's crew had ignored warnings from Houthi naval forces.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-68490695

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Red Sea Turkey Shoot: Allied Warships Down Dozens Of Drones Within Hours
by Tyler Rogoway
March 9, 2024

Introduction:

(The Drive) Even after weeks of opportunistic strikes against time-sensitive Houthi targets — usually in the form of missiles and drones being prepared for launch — the group fired 28 drones at targets around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that separates the Red Sea from the Gulf of Aden. U.S. Central Command subsequently released a statement saying that none of the drones hit their mark and were shot down by allied ships and aircraft. Regardless of the success of this onslaught, it is a very clear sign that the Houthis have no intention of curtailing their attacks on shipping and that the growing coalition of warships and combat aircraft are stepping up to meet that challenge head-on.

(See link for Twitter feeds)

There are currently two naval task forces operating in the region. These include the U.S.-led Operation Prosperity Guardian, which includes the U.K. and other international partner forces, and the E.U.-centric Operation Aspides (shield) which is made up of French, Italian, German, and Greek surface combatants and other capabilities.

As it sits now, we know multiple assets from multiple nations engaged the drones. The French shot down four drones, according to a press release.

France's Ministry of Defense released a statement saying French fighters were involved in defending their frigate from the drones. This likely is referring to French tactical jets, Mirage 2000s or Rafales, that would be forward deployed to the region, with the country's forward base in Djibouti being the most logical location.

An image posted by the French MoD shows an Aquitaine class frigate, the FS Alsace, firing its 76mm Super Rapid deck gun — which is already established as well-capable of downing Houthi drones — with a puff above the horizon. Other images include a vertical launch system firing an Aster-15 missile, as well as a still frame from a Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) system.

Read more here: https://www.twz.com/sea/red-sea-turkey ... in-hours



Photo Credit: French Ministry of Defense

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