By Al-Fassel | 2024-05-31

With its latest defensive actions to protect ships transiting the Red Sea, the US military has demonstrated its commitment to protecting maritime trade in the key corridor.

The United States has launched repeated strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen since mid-January. Britain also has participated in several of the strikes.

On May 30, US and British aircraft conducted strikes on 13 Houthi targets in Yemen that were deemed a threat to US and coalition forces and to merchant ships in the region.

On May 29, US forces destroyed two uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) over the Red Sea launched from Houthi-controlled Yemen, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).

A day earlier, the US military destroyed two Houthi missile launchers, and destroyed five drones over the Red Sea.

On May 26 and 27, US military forces destroyed one drone each day over the Red Sea launched by the Houthis.

They also engaged one Land Attack Cruise Missile (LACM) on May 23, and shot down four drones in Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen the day before.

"CENTCOM is dedicated to protecting the freedom of navigation and making international waters safer and more secure for coalition and merchant vessels," CENTCOM posted on X.

Meanwhile, the European Union naval mission in the Red Sea has destroyed 12 drones and one unmanned surface vessel (USV), and intercepted four ballistic missiles since it was launched in late February, it said on X May 19.

On May 13, guided-missile destroyer USS Mason engaged and destroyed one inbound anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) launched towards it in the Red Sea by the Houthis.

Indiscriminate attacks

In a televised speech on April 4, Houthi chief Abdul Malik al-Houthi vowed to continue the attacks on Red Sea shipping.

The Houthis have been targeting the vital shipping lane since November in a campaign they say is in solidarity with Palestinians during the Gaza war.

But observers have noted the attacks have done nothing to help the people of Gaza and have in fact obstructed the delivery of humanitarian aid.

On April 2, media outlets and social media accounts reported that an Iranian-made Quds-2 cruise missile, likely launched from Yemen, had crashed in Sudan.

The missile -- a type of weapon known to be in the Houthis' arsenal -- is thought to have been fired toward a commercial vessel in the Red Sea.

In an April 2 post on X, the US Embassy in Yemen underscored the indiscriminate nature of the attacks, sharing a graphic with the flags of 32 nations and the caption "reckless Houthis attacks are harming these countries and more."

Even the Houthis' backer, Iran, and their allies, Russia and China, whose ships the group had pledged to give safe passage, have been targeted by the attacks.