Yemen Continues to Enforce Israel Shipping Blockade Despite U.S. Attacks

On January 9, U.S. Department of Defense officials reported a major drone and missile skirmish had broken out in the Red Sea.

The primary source of the reports were unofficial spokespersons for the U.S. military’s Central Command (Centcom) and related Pentagon personnel.

“On Jan. 9, at approximately 9:15 p.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthis launched a complex attack of Iranian designed one-way attack UAVs (OWA UAVs), anti-ship cruise missiles, and an anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen into the Southern Red Sea, towards international shipping lanes where dozens of merchant vessels were transiting,” Centcom reported in a post on social media documenting their perspective on what happened yesterday.

“This is the 26th Houthi attack on commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea since Nov 19,” Centcom wrote in a formal statement issued about the incidents yesterday. “Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity.”

Centcom said this attack involved as a minimum the launch of 18 drones carrying bombs, an anti-ship missile, and two anti-ship cruise missiles at targets off the coast of Hodeida and Mokha, two port cities along Yemen’s coastline with the Red Sea.

The officials also noted that there were 50 cargo ships in the area at the time but had no information about how many of those might have been in jeopardy because of the attacks, or even if they were targets for the weapons.

Houthi forces had previously taken credit for carrying out numerous attacks on ships traveling in the Red Sea, because they were either owned and/or operated by Israeli entities, or where destined to land and deliver cargo at Israeli ports. The Houthis are using the shipping disruption in an effort to punish Israel and its enablers for the mass genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.

Houthi officials said in December they would continue the attacks until Gaza “received the food and medicines it needs”.

Pentagon officials confirmed there were four warships present at the time which were part of the U.S.-directed Operation Prosperity Guardian task force.

Curiously, even though Operation Prosperity Guardian is billed as an international coalition, Centcom officials acknowledged only the presence of the USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier; the U.S. Navy vessels the USS Gravely, USS Laboon, and the USS Mason, all of which are destroyers; and the HMS Diamond from the United Kingdom.

No other ships in the task force coalition, which at one time included the U.S., U.K., Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain, were reported to be present at the time of the attacks.

According to the Centcom officials quoted, all the drones and missiles were successfully shot down either by F-18 military jets which took off from the USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier, or from one or more of the American destroyers.

Prior to the launch of the drones and missiles, a commercial tanker reported having seen flares consistent with either drone or missile launches somewhere off the Mokha coast.

The crew on a bulk cargo carrier said they had seen three small ships which might have been the source of the drone or missile launches. The same crew also saw what they believed was a drone flying ahead of one of the ships.

The Houthis have not acknowledged anything about the firefight in the Red Sea yesterday.

On January 10, the UN Security Council is holding a follow-up session on its emergency January 3 session regarding the Houthi interference in shipping. The U.S. plans to push through a formal order from the Council to order the Houthis to stand down from their actions immediately. The corrupt and broken UN Security Council has failed repeatedly to take any action against Israel. It should instead impose its own blockade against Israel. 

In parallel news, while the Mossad operative posing as U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken was visiting the Middle East this week, he said that he had told Israeli officials they need to do better to protect Gaza’s civilians but had also agreed with Israel that a ceasefire was not appropriate at this time. The pro-genocide monster was under extremely heavy protection. 

This is despite that over 23,000 Palestinian people have been murdered and 59,000 wounded by Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 7. More than half of the victims are children. 

While the Houthi actions have not stopped shipping to Israel, it has certainly impacted it and is imposing a non-lethal penalty on the fascist nation that has gone completely insane.