US Navy admiral says ships in the Middle East are now facing a new challenge: Houthi drone boats packed with explosives

• The Houthis on Thursday launched an explosive drone boat into key waters off the coast of Yemen.
• A US Navy admiral said the drone detonated in international shipping lanes without causing harm.

Houthi rebels have introduced a new and dangerous threat to commercial vessels, as well as US and allied warships, operating in key waterways off the coast of Yemen: drone boats packed with explosives.

Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, who leads US Naval Forces Central Command, said the Houthis on Thursday deployed a one-way attack unmanned surface vessel, or USV, for the first time since the Iran-backed militants started attacking ships in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait, and Gulf of Aden several weeks ago.

The Houthis originally launched the USV from Yemen and it transited around 15 miles into international shipping lanes "with the intent to do harm," Cooper told reporters. But the drone eventually detonated without hitting any ships or causing any casualties.

It's unclear what the USV's target vessel was, Cooper said, adding that at one point, the drone even came within a few miles of commercial vessels and US Navy warships operating in the area.

Cooper said he would characterize the incident as "the use of a new capability," adding that the introduction of a USV "is of concern." Although the Houthis have employed these kinds of drones in years past, Thursday marked the first time that the rebel group has used the systems since they started attacking ships off the coast of Yemen, the admiral said.

Exploding drone boats have made a splash in recent months because of their use in the Ukraine war. Kyiv's forces have relied heavily on these systems to carry out highly successful attacks against Russia's Black Sea Fleet and hit targets around the occupied Crimean peninsula — doing so without a traditional navy.

USVs, though not necessarily rigged to blow, have also been employed in recent non-combat missions. The US Navy, for example, used them in September to spy on Iranian warships and gunboats in Middle Eastern waters. Tehran has previously attempted to seize American USVs.

The Houthis have carried out more than two dozen attacks on commercial ships since mid-November, claiming that their actions are a result of the Israel-Hamas war.

The rebels have relied on a solid arsenal of anti-ship cruise and ballistic missiles, as well as one-way attack drones and other assets, for their provocations and have even attempted to hijack vessels. In one case, they actually succeeded in doing so.

During this time, American, French, and British warships operating in the region have been shooting down many of these Houthi threats. Kinetic action has largely been contained to this space, but at the end of December, there was bloodshed.

On Dec. 31, multiple Houthi boats stormed a container ship transiting through the southern Red Sea and attempted to board the vessel. When they opened fire on US Navy helicopters that responded to the distress call, according to a statement from US Central Command, the helicopters then returned fire "in self-defense," sinking three of the four Houthi boats and killing some of the militants.

The Houthi attacks have prompted some major shipping companies to reroute their vessels away from the Red Sea, putting a strain on global trade. Facing pressure to respond to the growing problem, the US in mid-December announced a multinational initiative aimed at protecting ships sailing off the coast of Yemen and deterring any hostile action.

Cooper said that thanks to this initiative — dubbed "Operation Prosperity Guardian" — around 1,500 vessels have safely transited through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

But Houthi attacks, like the one on Dec. 31, have not let up. Most recently, the rebels on Tuesday fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles into the southern Red Sea, CENTCOM said, adding that there were no reported impacts or injuries.

The unrelenting attacks have raised questions about whether the US or its allies will take any direct kinetic action against the Houthis in Yemen, like conducting an airstrike. This would not be unprecedented, and the US has done this after provocative incidents in the past.

On Wednesday, the White House released a joint statement from the US and several other countries condemning the Houthis for conducting "illegal, unacceptable, and profoundly destabilizing" attacks. The countries also issued a stern warning to the rebels and said they "will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and free flow of commerce in the region's critical waterways."

When asked later Wednesday evening if the US will wait for another attack to respond, issue another warning, or conduct a preemptive strike against the Houthis, a senior Biden administration official said they "would not anticipate another warning."

"We have acted defensively," the official told reporters. "We're going to let the statement stand for itself."