US, France, UK “Launch” Attack on Houthis

The recent actions of the US, France, and the UK have escalated tensions in the Middle East. This comes after the Houthi forces launched attacks on US warships and the Propel Fortune cargo ship in the region.

In a televised statement on March 9th, Yahya Sare, the military spokesperson for the Houthi forces, claimed responsibility for targeting the Propel Fortune cargo ship and several US warships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden using 37 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that in the early morning of March 9th, US forces and coalition forces shot down at least 28 Houthi UAVs over the Red Sea. CENTCOM also stated, “No US naval vessels or allied forces were damaged in the attack, and there were no reports of damage to commercial ships.”

Earlier that same day, CENTCOM declared that US forces were responding to a large-scale Houthi attack on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden between 4:00 am and 6:30 am local time.

According to CENTCOM’s post on the social media platform Business Today, these UAVs posed “an immediate threat to commercial ships, US Navy vessels, and coalition ships in the area.”

Meanwhile, the French military reported that a French warship and fighter jets had also shot down four Houthi UAVs heading towards European naval vessels as part of the Aspides Operation in the region.

In mid-February, the European Union launched “Operation Aspides,” deploying naval forces in the Red Sea to ensure freedom of navigation for commercial ships at risk of Houthi attacks in Yemen.

According to Reuters, France currently has warships in the area and fighter jets stationed in bases in Djibouti and the United Arab Emirates.

In addition, the UK Ministry of Defence stated that, along with its allies, the HMS Richmond warship used Sea Ceptor missiles to intercept a Houthi UAV attack on the night of March 9th. The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed that there were no casualties or damages.

Furthermore, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed an attempted attack on the Singapore-flagged Propel Fortune cargo ship. The ship’s owner reported two explosions near the vessel. Fortunately, all crew members were safe, and the ship continued on its course to the next port.

Yahya Sarea, the Houthi spokesperson, declared that the group would continue to target ships related to Israel or en route to Israeli ports in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden until Israel ceased its military campaign in Gaza.

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