2 US-Flagged Ships Attacked in Red Sea

Facts

• According to a statement from shipping company Maersk, two ships operated by its US subsidiary Maersk Line, Limited (MLL) and accompanied by the US Navy were targeted by Houthi strikes and required to turn around as they transported US military supplies along the Bab al-Mandab Strait off the coast of Yemen on Wednesday.¹
• In its statement, Maersk said, 'While en route, both ships reported seeing explosions close by and the US Navy accompaniment also intercepted multiple projectiles.' The ships and crew were unharmed and were escorted back to the Gulf of Aden by the US Navy.²
• A spokesperson for Yemen's Houthi military forces confirmed that the group fired ballistic missiles at several US warships that were escorting two American commercial vessels and claimed that it struck one ship. US officials, however, have claimed otherwise, saying that 'no US warships or commercial vessels were struck by Houthi missiles today.'³
• MLL primarily transports cargo for several US agencies, including the Department of Defense and the Department of State. Earlier this month, Maersk suspended its shipping in the Red Sea, with the exception of MLL vessels. After Wednesday's incident, however, the shipping company said its US subsidiary would also halt its transit in the area.⁴
• A statement by US Central Command said that the US Navy destroyer USS Gravely shot down two missiles, and a third missile fell into the water. Prior to Wednesday, the Houthi's last attempted attack happened on Jan. 18, when they targeted the Marshall Islands-flagged, US-owned commercial ship, the M/V Chem Ranger.⁵
• The Iranian-backed Houthis have been launching missile attacks against ships in the Red Sea since November in protest of the war in Gaza. After several weeks of attacks on commercial ships, the US began conducting airstrikes on the militia group on Jan. 11.⁵

Sources: ¹www.reuters.com, ²www.timesofisrael.com, ³Jerusalem Post, ⁴US News & World Report and ⁵CBS.

Narratives

• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Hürriyet Daily News. The Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea will not stop until all residents of the Gaza Strip have access to food, medicine, and supplies. These attacks will last long as Israel's aggression continues and humanitarian aid is prevented from reaching the victims of this ruthless bombardment. These attacks are not interrupting international navigation of the Red Sea, and only ships connected to Israel are being targeted, with the majority of international ships transiting the area undisturbed.
• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by CBS. The Houthis may say that they are launching these attacks against ships in the Red Sea to protest the war in Gaza, but the truth is that the majority of the vessels that they are targeting have no connection to Israel. The US is doing its best to protect shipping in the region and keep the peace, but these attacks and others by Iran-backed groups against US forces in Iraq and Syria risk escalating the conflict and widening tensions in the Middle East.