The US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated that two US Navy destroyers successfully repelled an attack by Iran-backed Houthi rebels on US commercial ships over the weekend.
In a statement, the US Central Command indicated that the USS Stockdale and USS O’Kane successfully intercepted a series of weapons launched by the Houthi militants as they transited the Gulf of Aden from November 30 to December 1.
“These destroyers were escorting three US-owned, operated, and flagged commercial ships. These reckless attacks caused no casualties and no damage to any of the vessels, whether civilian or US Navy,” the statement said. “The destroyers successfully intercepted and repelled three anti-ship ballistic missiles, three one-way attack drones, and one anti-ship cruise missile, ensuring the safety of the ships and their personnel, as well as civilian ships and their crews.”
“These actions reflect the ongoing commitment of US Central Command forces to protect American personnel, regional partners, and international shipping from attacks by Iran-backed Houthi rebels,” the statement added.
The attack came weeks after US forces carried out punitive strikes on Houthi weapons storage facilities in Yemen in mid-November. These targeted facilities, located in areas controlled by the Houthis, housed various advanced conventional weapons that the Houthi militants used to target US and other international military and civilian ships passing through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
US Air Force and Navy assets, including F-35C fighter jets, were deployed in last month’s operation. A US defense official told Fox News that this marked the first combat flight mission for the F-35C stealth strike fighter.
These strikes were also aimed at weakening the threat posed by this Iran-backed radical organization to regional partners.
The Gulf of Aden is a vital shipping lane that connects the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean via the Mandeb Strait to the north of the Red Sea, serving as a crucial transit point for vessels traveling between Europe and North America, as well as a key route for oil shipments from the Persian Gulf to Europe and North America. The region is notorious for piracy activities, earning the Gulf of Aden the moniker of “Pirate Alley.”
The Houthi militants claimed that the attacks on commercial ships were meant to support Palestinians in the Gaza conflict. On October 7 last year, Hamas militants launched an assault on Israel, resulting in 1,200 deaths and sparking a new round of Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
On January 17, the Biden administration re-designated the Houthi rebels in Yemen as a “global terrorist organization,” marking the latest move by the US government to counter Houthi attacks on international shipping.
The Trump administration, in its final day in office, designated the Houthi rebels as terrorist entities in two lists, the “global terrorist organization” and “foreign terrorist organization.” On February 12, 2021, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen and revoked these designations.