June 23rd 2024.
Over the weekend, authorities in Dubai reported that a commercial ship travelling through the Gulf of Aden had been targeted by an attack from Yemen's Houthi rebels. Fortunately, there was no damage caused by the attack. This is just the latest incident in a series of strikes on the shipping lane by the Houthi group.
The attack by the Houthis follows the recent sinking of a ship called Tutor, which appears to be a new escalation in their campaign to attack ships in the crucial maritime corridor. This escalation is believed to be linked to the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. In response, the United States has reportedly ordered the USS Dwight D Eisenhower, the leading aircraft carrier in their response to the Houthi attacks, to return home after an extended tour.
According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre, the captain of the ship that was targeted on Friday night reported seeing explosions near the vessel. A later briefing by the Joint Maritime Information Centre, overseen by the US, confirmed that the vessel had reported two explosions on its port side and a third one later. However, the ship was not hit and there was no damage. The crew and vessel are both safe and are continuing to their next port of call.
The Houthis, who have been in control of Yemen's capital city Sanaa since 2014, have claimed responsibility for the attack on Saturday night. Their military spokesman, Brigadier General Yahya Saree, identified the targeted vessel as the bulk carrier Transworld Navigator. This attack is just one of many that the Houthis have launched, with over 60 attacks targeting specific vessels and causing the death of four sailors. They have even captured and sunk two vessels since November. In response, the US has been conducting airstrikes against the Houthis since January, with a series of strikes on May 30 that killed at least 16 people and wounded 42 others, according to the rebels.
This is not the first time that a ship has been targeted by the Houthis. In March, a ship called Rubymar, carrying fertiliser, sank in the Red Sea after being attacked by the rebels. The Houthis claim that their attacks are aimed at ships connected to Israel, the US, or Britain. However, many of the ships that have been attacked have had no connection to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
In addition to these developments, the US Naval Institute's news service has reported, citing an anonymous official, that the USS Dwight D Eisenhower will be returning to its home base in Norfolk, Virginia after being deployed for over eight months. This deployment is said to be the most intense for the Navy since World War II. The report also mentions that another aircraft carrier operating in the Pacific will be taking the Eisenhower's place.
The closest American aircraft carrier known to be operating in Asia is the USS Theodore Roosevelt, which was spotted in Busan, South Korea on Saturday amidst rising tensions between Seoul and North Korea. Throughout its time in the Red Sea, the Eisenhower has been targeted by false attack claims by the Houthis. On Saturday night, Saree once again claimed responsibility for an attack on the carrier, but no evidence was provided to support this as the carrier was already scheduled to leave the region.
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