Seatrade Maritime: Houthi Attacks in the Red Sea Have Increased, Evolved, and Become More Complex

NYN | Reports and analyses

The maritime shipping news site, “Seatrade Maritime,” has reported that attacks by the naval forces of the Sana’a government in the Red Sea have been increasing and evolving in terms of number, range, complexity, and area of operations, despite attacks by the United States and NATO in Yemen for over six months.

The site quoted “Scarlet Suarez,” a senior intelligence analyst at the British maritime security consultancy firm “Dryad Global,” stating that “despite the advanced weaponry possessed by NATO, the retaliatory strikes by the alliance have largely been ineffective.”

“Seatrade Maritime” added in its report, which was observed and translated by “New Yemen News,” that “the most concerning development in this war of attrition is the evolution of the Houthis’ tactics.”

Regarding the Sana’a government forces’ initiation of using unmanned boats in their attacks and the recent unveiling of new types of these boats, the site quoted “Dryad Global” as saying: “The use of a range of unmanned vessels makes it difficult to determine which ones carry explosives. The Houthis can launch attacks from a distance using unmanned vessels, making it difficult for their targets to defend themselves. Additionally, unmanned vessels can be used to gather intelligence and conduct surveillance on enemy ships.”

In the report, “Suarez” noted that the success of the Sana’a government forces, or what he called the “Houthis,” in sinking the ship “Totur” indicates that they are “expanding and developing their use of unmanned vessels.”

In recent days, the Sana’a government forces revealed two new types of “locally-made” unmanned boats, in addition to a ballistic missile named “Palestine” and the introduction of a “hypersonic” ballistic missile named “Hatem 2,” with its first operation targeting an Israeli ship in the Arabian Sea.

Since late last year, the Sana’a government forces began striking Israeli targets in the occupied Palestinian territories and targeting Israeli and related ships in the Red and Arabian Seas before announcing the extension of their operations to parts of the Indian Ocean. Recently, they announced the commencement of the fourth phase of escalation against ships, “even in the Mediterranean Sea,” to support the Palestinians in Gaza. They affirm that their operations against “Israel” will continue, stipulating the “end of aggression and lifting of the siege on Gaza” to cease their military operations “in support of Gaza.”

In response, the United States and Britain launched airstrikes on Yemen, prompting the Sana’a government forces to declare that their operations would include targeting American and British commercial and military ships in response to what they called the “American-British aggression.”

On February 19, 2024, the European Union announced the launch of a military operation named “Aspides,” led by Italy in the Red Sea, while the United States announced the launch of an operation named “Guardian of Prosperity,” both aimed at countering the attacks carried out by the Sana’a government forces against “Israel.”