Yemen’s Houthi movement has launched a missile strike in the Red Sea against a vessel identified as the USS Pinocchio, the group’s military spokesman Yahya Saree said on Tuesday.
The statement, issued through the Houthi-run al-Masirah television channel, claimed the strike was accurate. Saree also said the Houthis plan to intensify their attacks during Ramadan in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.
The UK’s Maritime Trade Authority reported the incident involving the Liberian-flagged container ship Pinocchio on Monday 71 nautical miles southwest of Hodeidah, a Houthi-controlled port. No casualties or damage to the vessel were reported.
Also on Monday, Houthi media reported nine airstrikes they said were carried out by the US-British coalition on areas around the port of Hodeidah. The strikes targeted military positions held by the Houthis.
Since November, the Houthis have increasingly targeted commercial shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, claiming retaliation for Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip.
In response, the US and UK have launched air and missile strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen since mid-January. However, rather than deterring or degrading the group’s capabilities, these strikes appear to have provoked further escalation by Houthi forces.
World trade decreased by 1.3 per cent from November to December 2023 due to the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea. Experts note that the route between Asian production centres and European consumers began to take up to 20 days longer. In early January, cargo traffic through the Red Sea fell by 90%
