2024-01-18 03:15:00
The US bombed Houthi rebel positions in Yemen after the attack on an American ship in the Gulf of Aden. (Europa Press)
The United States intensified its offensive this Wednesday against areas controlled by the Houthi rebels in Yemen, after declaring the Shiite group “terrorist,” according to US media reports.
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The US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed through the X social network that a US ship suffered an attack with naval missiles in the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Yemen, without causing injuries. The Genco Picardy, a Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier, was able to continue sailing after the attack.
The designation of the Houthis as “terrorists” comes after a recent US and UK bombing campaign against the group’s military targets in Yemen, in response to the insurgents’ attacks on Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea and the Bab al Mandeb Strait, which have affected international maritime trade.
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The Houthis attacked another American cargo ship last Monday without causing any injuries or significant damage, and on Tuesday they carried out another hostile action against a Greek ship.
The new status for the Houthis will take effect in 30 days, on February 16, and US officials assured that Washington “will consider” suspending it if their attacks stop.
CENTCOM confirmed that a US ship suffered a naval missile attack in the Gulf of Aden. (EFE/Bram Van Biezen)
The Houthis have described this designation as an “honor” for supporting Palestine, but reject the decision as “unfair.”
You may be interested: After the bombing of Houthi positions, the United States stressed that it is not seeking war in Yemen: “We want their attacks to stop”
The United States and the United Kingdom began a military offensive against the Houthi rebels to defend “freedom of navigation” a week ago. In a joint statement supported by eight other countries, they highlighted that the decision to attack Houthi positions in Yemen is also due to the defense of international trade and those who transit the waters of the Red Sea, through which almost 15% of maritime trade circulates. global.
In the context of the war in Gaza, the Houthis, backed by the Iranian regime, have carried out attacks since November 19 against vessels that they say are related to Israel or heading towards that country.
The attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi rebels have had a “limited” effect on supply chains and energy prices in the United States, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday.
The United States and the United Kingdom began a military offensive against the Houthi rebels to defend “freedom of navigation.” (REUTERS)
The diversion of ships to the Cape of Good Hope, in southern Africa, “has not had a significant impact on the availability of products in the United States or on the capacity of ports on the west coast,” the spokesperson highlighted in a conference press.
“We are monitoring the situation, but we have not seen an impact so far,” he added.
The Houthi attacks have led some of the major global shipping companies to suspend their operations in the Red Sea area and look for alternative routes.
Last December, the world’s leading freight transport firm by cargo capacity, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), temporarily vetoed the passage of its ships through the maritime corridor that links Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal, a measure that they replicated. this Monday the oil company BP and the Chinese shipping companies COSCO, OOCL and Evergreen Marine.
(With information from EFE)
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