In a scenario that has been repeated continuously since the outbreak of the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip on October 7, the Red Sea witnessed a new attack on a commercial cargo ship.

The US Central Command announced on Tuesday that the Houthis launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles yesterday evening towards the Gulf of Aden to target a Swiss-owned container ship flying the
Liberian flag.

In a statement published on X platform The US Central Command said that a missile hit the ship and caused some damage, but initial reports did not indicate any injuries among the crew members.

The American command also confirmed that the ship continued sailing toward its destination and did not request assistance.

In addition, they indicated that the Houthis launched an anti-ship ballistic missile after midnight on Monday and Tuesday from Yemeni territory towards the southern Red Sea, adding that the missile fell
into the water without any reports of injuries or damage to commercial ships or US naval vessels.

USCC added that US forces carried out self-defense strikes against two Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles, which posed a threat to commercial ships and US Navy ships in the region, at exactly eight
o’clock yesterday evening, Sana’a time.

This came after the Houthi group announced yesterday that it “carried out two operations targeting an Israeli ship and American warships in the Arab and Red Bahrain,” she said.

Since November 19, the Iranian-backed Houthi group has carried out about 60 attacks with drones and missiles on commercial ships in this internationally important shipping route, claiming that they are linked to Israel or heading to its ports, in support of the Gaza Strip, which has been witnessing a violent Israeli war since October 7.

This prompted the American and British forces to launch joint strikes on several sites in Yemen belonging to the Yemeni group since January 12, in an attempt to deter it and protect maritime navigation.

On Monday, the Houthi group announced two operations targeting an Israeli ship and American warships in the Arab and Red Sea Bahrain.

The military spokesman for the group, Yahya Saree, said in a statement published on Monday, “Naval forces carried out a targeting operation against an Israeli ship (MSC SKY) in the Arabian Sea, with a number of appropriate naval missiles, and the hit was accurate and direct.”

The security company “Embry” and the British Maritime Trade Operations Authority (UKMTO) had previously confirmed that the incident occurred 91 nautical miles southeast of Aden, and that the targeted ship was a container ship flying the Liberian flag belonging to Israel on its way from Singapore to Djibouti. However, neither agency revealed its name.

Since November 19, the Houthis have announced attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, which they suspect are linked to Israel or heading to its ports.

To try to deter them, American and British forces have launched strikes on Houthi sites in Yemen since January 12. The US Army alone carries out strikes from time to time on missiles that it says are prepared for launch.

Following the Western strikes, the Houthis began targeting American and British ships in the region, considering that the interests of the two countries had become “legitimate targets.”