The U.S. Central Command stated on Tuesday that one of two anti-ship ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group in Yemen struck the container ship MSC Sky 2 in the Gulf of Aden, causing "damage." The statement added that initial reports indicated no injuries onboard the Swiss-owned, Liberian-flagged vessel, which did not request assistance and continued its course. A military spokesperson for the Iranian-aligned Houthi group claimed on Monday that they targeted the ship "with a number of suitable naval missiles." The Houthis are targeting shipping routes in the Red Sea in solidarity with Palestinians amid the war between Israel and the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in Gaza.
The U.S. military noted that the Houthis also launched an anti-ship ballistic missile from Yemen towards the southern Red Sea, but it landed in the water without causing damage or injuries to commercial vessels or U.S. Navy ships. The statement mentioned that U.S. Central Command forces conducted "self-defense" strikes against two anti-ship cruise missiles that posed an "imminent threat" to commercial shipping and U.S. Navy vessels in the region. The United States and the United Kingdom have attacked Houthi targets in Yemen and re-listed the group as a terrorist organization. Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have disrupted global shipping, forcing companies to reroute for longer, more costly journeys around South Africa, raising concerns that the war between Israel and Hamas could escalate and destabilize the Middle East.
