US Navy fights off barrage of 14 drones in Red Sea fired from Yemen as 'global trade problem' looms
- Tensions are rising in the Red Sea as the Houthi rebels of Yemen ramp up attacks to pressure Israel.
- The US's national security advisor said the Houthis were being "handed the gun by Iran."
In response to heightened threats in the Red Sea, the US and UK navies successfully intercepted 15 attack drones originating from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, Al Jazeera reported.
The Houthi rebel movement signaled their intent to press on with attacks in a bid to pressure Israel into a cease-fire with Gaza. The rising tensions add to concerns about Israel's war on Hamas expanding into a regional conflict.The US has urged Israel not to escalate maritime warfare with the Houthis.
The US Central Command reported that its USS Carney, a guided-missile destroyer, neutralized 14 suspected "one-way attack drones" on Saturday.Last week, Business Insider's Jake Epstein reported that the maritime service bragged in a video that the USS Carney was 22-0 against the Houthi rebels in contrast to Saturday's Army-Navy football game, which saw the Black Knights defeat the Midshipmen 17-11.
Following Saturday's successful defense of the Houthi barrage, it now stands at 36-0 — for those keeping scores.
Meanwhile, the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for a drone swarm attack on the Israeli city of Eilat, referring to the Red Sea resort city as "southern occupied Palestine."
The brewing tensions in the Red Sea threaten global trade, as about 12% of the world's trade business passes through the waterway between Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.Recent attacks on container ships and oil tankers flagged to countries such as Norway and Liberia have raised concerns about the safety of maritime traffic navigating the waters of the major global-trade artery.The UK's defense secretary, Grant Shapps, said Houthi attacks on commercial ships represented a "direct threat to international commerce and maritime security." Several major shipping companies have responded by pausing their vessels' journeys through the Red Sea, impacting the timely delivery of goods worldwide.
John Stawpert of the International Chamber of Shipping said in a statement that rerouting ships around the Cape of Good Hope could add significant delays of six to 14 days, turning the situation into a "global trade problem."
Concerns about the disruption of trade routes are mounting, and the economic impact is uncertain. The trade disruptions could slow shipments of oil, grain, and consumer goods.The US's national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, acknowledged Iran's influence in providing support to the Houthis, telling journalists: "While the Houthis are pulling the trigger, so to speak, they're being handed the gun by Iran."