Yemen's Houthis have carried out attacks on three ships in the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Arabian Sea, as claimed by the Iran-aligned group. However, the vessel reportedly targeted in the Mediterranean showed no evidence of such an incident. These reported attacks mark the latest in a sustained campaign by the Houthis, who assert that they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians combatting Israel in the Gaza conflict.
According to Yahya Sarea, the Houthis' military spokesperson, Houthi forces targeted the Yannis ship in the Red Sea, the Essex in the Mediterranean Sea, and MSC Alexandra in the Arabian Sea. Sarea stated that the Houthis had 'fired several missiles at the ship Essex in the Mediterranean Sea while it was violating the decision ban that prevents entry into occupied Palestinian ports.' However, he did not specify the timing of the attacks.
On May 23, the US Central Command reported that the Houthis had launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles into the Red Sea, with no injuries or damages. The Liberia-flagged Essex LPG tanker, managed by Zodiac Maritime under the control of Israeli magnate Eyal Ofer, was anchored off the coast of Egypt's Alexandria port in the Mediterranean during the time of the reported attack.
A spokesperson from Zodiac Maritime confirmed the safety of the vessel, stating, 'The vessel is safely at anchor in Egyptian waters and there has been no sign of anything unusual.' Additionally, British maritime security company Ambrey noted that the vessel had not called at any Israeli port in recent weeks and that it was not further offshore Egypt than 15NM over the prior week, contradicting the Houthi claim of an attack.
In a security advisory, the top global ship registry, the Marshall Islands, indicated that while Houthi missiles and drones have the range to reach the eastern Mediterranean from Yemen, coalition and local military forces possess adequate air defense systems to counter such activity. The leader of Yemen's Houthis, Abdul Malik Al Houthi, had previously declared that all ships heading to Israeli ports would be targeted by the Iran-backed group, extending beyond the Red Sea region that they had previously targeted.
Since November, the Iran-aligned Houthi militants have regularly launched drone and missile strikes on ships in critical shipping lanes, including the Red Sea, the Bab Al Mandab strait, and the Gulf of Aden, influencing shipping routes and raising concerns about potential wider implications for the Middle East amidst the Israel-Hamas conflict.
