US strikes missile sites in Yemen after more attacks on ships in Red Sea (2024)

The US has conducted another military strike on Houthi targets in Yemen before further attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.

The US military “struck and destroyed” four anti-ship ballistic missiles prepared to launch from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen at around 4.15am local time (1.15am UK time), US Central Command confirmed.

It came as Joe Biden’s administration was expected to announce plans to relist Houthi rebels as specially designated global terrorists, the Reuters news agency reported .

Later on Tuesday, at approximately 1:45pm local time, missiles from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen struck a Greek-owned merchant ship in the Red Sea, the latest in a series of escalating assaults by Houthi militants in the region.

The Zografia, a Greek-owned, Malta-flagged dry-bulk carrier, was hit twice by the missiles while transiting the Red Sea near Salif on the western coast of Yemen, north of the port of Hudaydah.

The ship sustained minor damage, maritime sources told Reuters. UK maritime security company Ambrey said it was able to continue and changed course to port. The signal continued to be transmitted, it added.

A spokesman for the Houthis, Yahya Sarea, confirmed that the group had targeted the ship, which it claimed was heading to Israel with naval missiles, and that the missile resulted in a “direct hit”.

Meanwhile, European Union member states have now given initial backing to a naval mission to protect ships from attacks by Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement in the Red Sea.

Many commercial shippers have diverted vessels to other routes following attacks in the Red Sea by the Houthi militants, who control much of Yemen and say they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians as Israel and Hamas wage war in Gaza.

Diplomats said the EU’s Political and Security Committee, which is responsible for foreign and defence policy had given its initial support for the mission.

The objective was to establish a plan by 19 February at the latest, launching the operation as soon as possible.

Several diplomats said they hoped that the process could be fast-tracked given the tensions in the region.

The European External Action Service (EEAS) declined to comment on confidential discussions.

The United States last month said it and other countries would patrol the Red Sea in a new mission – Operation Prosperity Guardian – to try to ameliorate fears that disruption in one of the world’s top trading arteries could hit the global economy.

However, some US allies in Europe, raised concerns about the mission, raising a red flag over the US controlling the scheme.

The Houthis have warned they will attack any Israel vessel or ship en route to Israel in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.

They also say they now consider US and British ships as legitimate targets, following the air strikes by those nations on Houthi facilities in Yemen last week.

It is unknown why Zografia, which sails under the Maltese flag, was hit.

United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which is part of the Royal Navy and advises on security for merchant ships, reported that the incident occurred about 100 nautical miles north-west of Salif at noon UK time.

“Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO,” the organisation said on X.

UKMTO also reported a suspicious approach at noon around 60 nautical miles north of Assab, an Eritrean port city in the southern Red Sea.

The Houthis claim that they are avenging Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas. However, they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, endangering shipping in a key route for global trade.

Air strikes by the US and UK targeted Houthi military facilities, including air defence systems and missile launch sites, on Friday and Saturday, as part of efforts to deter the group from targeting international shipping.

In response, the Houthis launched a missile at a US-owned bulk carrier in the Gulf of Aden on Monday.

The Houthis are a Zaidi Shia political and military organisation and have been fighting Yemen’s Sunni-majority government since 2004.

They originated in the 90s as an opposition movement to Yemen’s then-president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, whom their leader, Hussein al-Houthi, accused of corruption and criticised for being backed by Saudi Arabia and the US.

This story is being updated as we learn more.