Amidst heightening maritime tensions in the Red Sea, a series of confrontations between US and UK forces against Yemen’s Houthi rebels has escalated the conflict in the strategic waterway. The Houthi insurgency, which receives backing from Iran, has been targeting ships since November, claiming they are associated with Israel and expressing solidarity with Gaza. Disruptions have ensued in a marine channel that is pivotal for approximately 12 percent of international trade.
On the twelfth of January, US and UK military forces initiated a coordinated strike on 60 Houthi targets, including missile and radar installations across 16 separate locations within the territories held by the rebels. The assault, involving over 150 precision-guided munitions, resulted in five fatalities and six injuries as per the reports from Houthi officials. In a swift response, the Houthis launched a missile attack, which failed to meet any targets. They subsequently announced that American and British interests would be considered valid targets following the overnight offensive.
The subsequent day witnessed additional military actions as the United States executed an attack on Al-Dailami airbase, situated in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. The US military described this as a continuation of the previous day’s operations. Despite the intensifying military pressure, the Houthis maintained their stance on continuing assaults on vessels transiting the Red Sea.
On January 14, US forces succeeded in intercepting a cruise missile directed at the USS Laboon destroyer by the Houthi forces. The conflict continued to intensify as a missile launched by the Houthis struck the US-owned Gibraltar Eagle cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden, located south of the Red Sea, on the fifteenth of January. The attack led to a fire but resulted in no casualties.
The sixteenth of January was marked by the United States’ interdiction of four anti-ship ballistic missiles, which, according to their reports, were primed for launch from Yemen under Houthi control. That same day, a missile struck a Greek-owned, Malta-flagged bulk carrier in the Red Sea, causing minor damage without any injuries reported. Further escalation occurred on the seventeenth as a Houthi drone hit the US-owned bulk carrier Genco Picardy, resulting in damage but no casualties, according to US Central Command. The US forces retaliated by neutralising 14 missiles, which they claimed were ready for launch.
On January 18, the Houthis asserted that they had achieved “direct hits” on a US cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden, a claim that was disputed by US forces, who reported that the missiles had missed their target. The United States also disclosed that they had targeted two anti-ship missiles scheduled for launch into the Red Sea.
John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council, revealed on the nineteenth of January that the US military had conducted three “successful self-defence strikes” against missile launchers that were purportedly in the process of preparing for new assaults on maritime targets.
The following day, US air strikes were aimed at a Houthi anti-ship missile, as reported by US Central Command. By the twenty-second, the Houthis claimed they had struck a US cargo ship with missiles, a statement denied by a US defence official.
This series of events culminated on January 23 with the second joint military action by the United States and Britain against the Houthis, targeting eight locations within the rebel-controlled region. Despite the coalition’s claims of precise targeting, the Houthis’ military spokesman, Yahya Saree, reported a total of 18 raids and issued a statement vowing retaliation.
This sequence of military engagements highlights the volatile situation in the Red Sea region, a critical artery for global trade, and underscores the potential for further escalation as both sides continue to demonstrate a commitment to their respective military campaigns.
