As part of the Red Sea crisis, Houthi attacks on commercial vessels have occurred in the Red Sea.
Houthi forces began attacking shipping vessels affiliated with Israel passing through the Red Sea on 19 November 2023. By February, 40 vessels had been attacked. Global shipping companies, which had typically sailed through the Red Sea, as well as the Suez Canal, instead moved to position their vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, off the Cape Peninsula, South Africa. Between November and December 2023, a 1.3 percent decrease in global trade resulted from Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. By March 2024, over 2,000 ships had diverted routes away from the Red Sea, making costlier voyages, since the first Houthi attack the previous November.
Initial Houthi pledges to target any ship with links to Israel were followed by attacks on ships connected to over a dozen nations, as well, stated, in January 2024, as avenging "American-British aggression against our country". US Central Command responded that the Houthis attacks "have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza" and that Houthis had "fired indiscriminately into the Red Sea", targeting ships, and impacting more than 40 nations. On 3 May 2024, the Houthi-aligned Yemeni Armed Forces SPC military spokesperson Yahya Saree announced, in a televised speech, that "We will target any ships heading to Israeli ports in the Mediterranean Sea in any area we are able to reach".
Timeline
First and second phases (November – December 2023)
On 19 November 2023, Houthi forces used a Mil Mi-17 helicopter to board and seize the car transporter Galaxy Leader, which was en route to India with 25 people but no cargo on board. The incident followed a statement by Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree on the group's Telegram channel, declaring their intention to target ships owned or operated by Israeli companies or carrying the Israeli flag. According to the ship's owner, the vessel was then moved to the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.
Sarea also urged countries to remove their citizens from crews of such ships. Earlier, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi had threatened further attacks against Israeli interests, including potential targets in the Red Sea and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. His speech emphasized the group's capability to monitor and target Israeli ships in these regions.
On 24 November, Iran allegedly attacked CMA CGM Symi, a Malta-flagged container ship in the Indian Ocean A drone was shot down over the Red Sea by an IDF fighter jet.
On 26 November, the Liberian-flagged MV Central Park, an oil tanker managed by Zodiac Maritime, was seized off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden. It carried a full cargo of phosphoric acid with 22 crew members consisting of Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian and Filipino nationals. The destroyer USS Mason, along with a partner country in the multilateral anti-piracy operation CTF 151, conducted a visit, board, search, and seizure (VBSS) operation that facilitated the release of the Central Park and captured the hijackers on the ship following their attempted escape. The ship's crew was unharmed. The US military reported that in the early morning hours of the following day, two ballistic missiles were fired in the direction of the Mason and the Central Park from Houthi territory in Yemen and ended up in the Gulf of Aden. The five hijackers, all suspected Somali pirates, were detained by the US Navy.
On 3 December, the United States Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Carney reportedly shot down three attack drones launched from Yemen that were approaching the ship. After shooting down the drones, the ship responded to a distress call by three commercial ships in the area (the Unity Explorer, Number 9 and Sophie II) which were under attack by ballistic missiles launched from Yemen.
The Houthis claimed responsibility for two of the attacks. Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree stated that one merchant vessel was hit by a missile and another by a drone while in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, without mentioning a warship. A Pentagon source said that the attacks on Carney caused no injuries or damage.
Third phase (December 2023 – May 2024)
On 9 December 2023, the Houthis vowed to target any vessel en route to Israeli ports, entering the third phase of the crisis. Following the announcement, the frequency of attacks around the Bab-el-Mandeb increased.
On 12 December, the Houthis launched an anti-ship cruise missile attack against the Norwegian commercial ship Strinda, an oil and chemical tanker operated by the J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi company, while it was close to the Bab-el-Mandeb. The Strinda was on its way from Malaysia to Italy (via the Suez Canal). The attack caused a fire aboard the ship; no crew members were injured. The ship was carrying cargo of palm oil. The French Armed Forces Ministry and US Department of Defense reported that the Languedoc shot down a drone targeted at the Strinda, and USS Mason also rendered aid. The Houthi attack on the Strinda was an expansion of its series of attacks against maritime shipping in the strait; the Houthis began to attack commercial vessels without any discernible tie to Israel.
On 13 December, Houthi rebels attempted to board the Ardmore Encounter, a Marshall Islands-flagged commercial tanker coming from Mangaluru, India and en route to either Rotterdam, Netherlands or Gävle, Sweden, but failed, prompting a distress call from the ship. They then targeted the tanker with missiles, which missed. USS Mason responded to the tanker's distress call and shot down a UAV launched from a Houthi-controlled area. The Ardmore Encounter was able to continue its voyage without further incident.
On 14 December, a Houthi-launched missile was fired at the Maersk Gibraltar, though it missed its target. On 15 December, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sarea claimed responsibility for attacks on two Liberian-flagged vessels identified as MSC Alanya and MSC Palatium III. The Houthis fired naval missiles at the ships as they alleged they were traveling to Israel.
On 15 December, it was reported that the Liberian-flagged Al-Jasrah, which is owned by Hapag Lloyd, caught fire after being hit by a Houthi-launched projectile while sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. On 16 December, Royal Navy destroyer HMS Diamond shot down a drone over the Red Sea while it was targeting a commercial ship.
On 18 December, Houthis claimed to have launched attacks targeting two cargo vessels in the Red Sea near Mocha port, the MSC Clara and the Norwegian-owned Swan Atlantic. The Swan Atlantic's owner, Inventor Chemical Tankers, said its water tank was damaged in the attack and denied it has any Israeli ties.
On 23 December, Houthis fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles into the southern Red Sea, but no ships were hit. USS Laboon also shot down four UAVs that were heading toward it.
On 26 December, Houthis fired several naval missiles at the MSC United VIII in the Red Sea after it rejected three warning calls. She reported several explosions near her. She alerted a nearby coalition task force warship and engaged in evasive maneuvers as per her instructions during the attacks.
The container ship Maersk Hangzhou, owned by A.P. Moller Singapore Pte. Ltd. and in service with Maersk Line, was attacked over two days in late December. On 30 December, she was hit by a land-based missile, suffering only limited damage and no casualties. The following day, four small Yemeni gunboats attempted to attack and board the ship. The Maersk Hangzhou's own security team repelled them. Responding to her distress call, helicopters were deployed from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and USS Gravely, which were then engaged by the Houthis. The helicopters returned fire and sank three of the boats, killing their crews (ten militants in all—the fourth boat withdrew), thus inflicting the first known casualties of the Red Sea crisis.
On 11 January 2024, Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile into international shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden, which landed in the water near a commercial vessel, causing no damage or injuries.
On 12 January, Houthis mistakenly targeted MT Khalissa as it carried Russian crude oil based on outdated information linking it to the United Kingdom. A missile was fired near the vessel as it sailed off the coast of Aden, causing no injuries or damage. Three small boats also tailed the vessel for over an hour.
On 15 January, Houthis struck MV Gibraltar Eagle with an anti-ship missile, causing a small fire on board. The attack did not cause injuries or significant damage. Another missile fired earlier failed in flight and crashed in Yemen.
On 16 January, an anti-ship ballistic missile fired by the Houthis struck MV Zografia, causing material damage but no injuries. The Greek-owned and Malta-flagged vessel, which came from Vietnam and was en route to Israel, was able to continue transiting the Red Sea.
On 17 January, Houthis struck the US-owned bulk carrier MV Genco Picardy with a drone while it traversed the Gulf of Aden, causing minimal damage and no injuries to the crew. The Indian Navy announced the following day that INS Visakhapatnam was diverted to rescue the ship's crew of 22 people. No casualties were reported and the ship later continued onwards for its scheduled journey.
On 18 January, Houthis launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles at MV Chem Ranger, which was traveling from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to Kuwait. The missiles landed in the water near the ship while it was traversing through the Gulf of Aden, and there was no reported damage or injuries. However, a Houthi post on social media claimed that they launched several naval missiles at the vessel, resulting in direct hits.
On 22 January, Houthis claimed they attacked the US military cargo ship MV Ocean Jazz, but did not state the location of the attack or if damage was caused. However, the claim was rejected by the US Naval Forces Central Command.
On 24 January, a Houthi missile exploded on the sea about 100 metres off the starboard side of the US-flagged, -owned, and -operated container ship Maersk Detroit. This ship and the Maersk Chesapeake, both in the US Maritime Administration's Maritime Security Program and Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement were carrying US Department of Defense, US Department of State, USAID, and other US government agency cargo from Oman, and accompanied by US naval vessels while they were near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait transiting north. Two other missiles were shot down by USS Gravely. Following the incident, the two vessels were ordered back to the Gulf of Aden by US Navy instruction with Navy escort and Maersk Line Limited, a subsidiary that sails primarily US government-owned goods, suspended all sailings in the Red Sea.
On 26 January, a Houthi ballistic missile fired toward USS Carney was shot down. The same day, the Marlin Luanda, an oil tanker operated by British company Oceonix Services on behalf of Trafigura, carrying Russian-produced naphtha, was hit by a missile as it traversed the Gulf of Aden 60 nautical miles (110 km; 69 mi) southeast of Aden, according to UK Maritime Trade Operations. The missile set fire to a starboard cargo tank, which was extinguished by the crew without injury.
On 28 January, HMS Diamond intercepted a Houthi drone targeting it. The following day, Houthis claimed they struck USS Lewis B. Puller with a missile in the Gulf of Aden. An American defense official rejected the claim. The UKMTO reported the same day that a merchant vessel was suspiciously approached by three small boats, who got as close as one nautical mile, 44 nautical miles (81 km; 51 mi) west of Al-Mukha. The merchant vessel's security crew fired warning shots to deter the small boats, and the vessel was able to safely proceed to its next port of call.
On 30 January, a Houthi missile targeting USS Gravely came within a mile of the naval vessel before being intercepted, the closest any Houthi attack had yet come to a US warship. The following day, the Houthis claimed they targeted an American merchant ship named Koi with several naval missiles. The security firm Ambrey said the same day that a merchant vessel reported an explosion on its starboard side 69 nautical miles (128 km; 79 mi) southwest of Aden, but it was not stated if it was the Koi. USS Carney also shot down three Iranian drones and one Houthi missile over the Gulf of Aden.
On 6 February, Houthis claimed they hit a British and an American ship in the Red Sea, which they identified as the Morning Tide and Star Nasia, respectively. Neither ship received major damage. Ambrey reported that a Barbados-flagged British ship received minor damage to its port 57 nautical miles (106 km; 66 mi) from the coast of Hodeidah, and the UKMTO said that it also received reports that the port side of a ship was struck by a projectile west of Hodeidah and a small craft was seen nearby. The second ship, which the UKMTO identified as a Marshall Islands-flagged, Greek-owned vessel originating from the US and en route to India, was attacked off the coast of Aden. It reported an explosion 50 metres off its starboard side.