In the wake of allegations of another merchant vessel connected to Israel being hit, Washington has charged Iran of being “deeply involved” in Houthi group’s strikes on business vessels in the Red Sea.
The United States suggested yesterday that Tehran is providing tactical intelligence as well as weaponry to the Yemeni movement. The material was just released and appeared to demonstrate Iranian participation in the strikes. Iran has strongly denied any connection.
In a statement released on Friday, the White House national security spokesperson said “we know that Iran was deeply involved in planning the operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea.”
According to Washington, this is in line with Iran’s sustained financial assistance and promotion of the Houthis’ destabilizing activities in the area. Watson stated that it is an international problem that calls for collaborative response.
Visual investigation, according to the White House, revealed almost exact similarities between the unmanned vehicles deployed by the Houthi forces and Iran’s KAS-04 drones.
Additionally, there are similarities between Houthi missiles and the Iranian missile systems.
Over the years, the Houthis have claimed to have created their own intelligence capabilities that have been shown to be quite efficient. But according to US authorities, the Houthi movement relies on Iranian-supplied equipment and do not possess radars. In the absence of it, the Houthis’ rockets would just fall into the sea, as Washington believes.
Numerous drone and missile strikes on business ships in the Red Sea have been carried out by the Houthi forces following the October 7 attacks in Israel. The move, according to the organization, is a demonstration of solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza who are under Israeli assault. Much of Yemen is under Houthi authority, notably the capital city of Sanaa.
Houthi Attacks
The most recent vessel to be attacked was a chemical products tanker flying the Liberian flag on Saturday. However, no group has yet claimed responsibility for the assault. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) and the British maritime security company Ambrey reported that the vessel was struck by an unmanned aerial vehicle 120 miles southwest of Veraval, India.
A website announcement by the firm says “some structural damage was also reported and some water was taken onboard. The vessel was Israel-affiliated. She had last called Saudi Arabia and was destined for India at the time.”
Most international trade has been already redirected as a result of the Houthi onslaught. Deliveries of food, energy, and consumer products were delayed and their costs increased as a result of forcing freight firms to circumnavigate Africa.
The assaults have forced more than a dozen maritime firms to halt operations across the Red Sea. These include the massive Italian-Swiss Mediterranean Shipping Company, the French CMA CGM, and the Danish AP Moller-Maersk.
Earlier this week, Washington declared the formation of a multinational force of over 20 nations to safeguard ships passing through the Red Sea. A US guided-missile destroyer downed 14 attack drones last week, which were allegedly fired from Yemeni areas under Houthi authority.
If assaulted, the Houthi movement has threatened to retaliate against “American battleships” and “American interests.” Tehran has denied arming the Houthis, although it has stated that it supports the group’s political master in Yemen.
