Yemen: US Strikes More Targets, Including Underwater Drone

Facts

• The US said it launched five airstrikes on Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen over the weekend — targeting three mobile cruise missiles, one unmanned surface vessel, and an unmanned underwater vehicle.¹
• On Sunday, the US Central Command claimed that the weapons posed an 'imminent threat' to US Navy ships and commercial vessels in the region. It also said it was the first time the Iran-aligned Houthis deployed an unmanned underwater vehicle since their Red Sea attacks began.²
• According to the US military, the air strikes against Houthi targets serve to protect 'freedom of navigation' on one of the world's key sea routes. On Friday, the US Dept. of State announced that a Panama-flagged oil tanker was hit by a missile in the Red Sea.³
• Also on Friday, the US government formally relabeled the Houthis a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group, after Washington announced the decision last month. The move reportedly gives the US additional means to block the Iran-backed Houthis' access to the global financial system.⁴
• This comes as the State Department alleged that Iran was 'deeply involved' in planning the Houthis' operations in the Red Sea. Washington claims the rebels are using Iranian-made missiles and unmanned aerial systems against military and civilian targets in the region.⁵
• Meanwhile, the Houthis reportedly caused heavy damage to a Lebanese-operated, Belize-flagged British cargo ship Sunday as it passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The Houthis also claimed they shot down an American drone close to the Yemeni city of Al Hudaydah.⁶

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²CNN, ³WION, ⁴New York Times, ⁵Voice of America and ⁶POLITICO.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Iran International. While the Houthis claim that their operations are only directed against Israeli-linked commercial vessels, their attacks have disrupted maritime trade. Moreover, the Yemeni terrorists are being supported on the ground with weapons and intelligence by Tehran in its asymmetric war against Israel in violation of international law. Should Iran continue with its destabilizing and threatening tactics, the US must also consider direct strikes against the regime.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by almayadeen.net. Even the latest illegal aggression against Yemen will not deter the Houthis from continuing to attack the Israeli regime's maritime supply line. The US is deliberately causing the escalation in the Red Sea to distract from its direct support of Israel in its cruel campaign against the people of Gaza. However, Washington's calculation is not working out and instead represents a strategic blunder that only reinforces the regional isolation of the US and Israel.

Predictions