Houthi war update: US forces attacked by underwater drone, British flagged cargo ship abandoned after missile strike.

 

File photo of Houthis in Yemen. ABC News/Anadolu/Getty.

US forces have come under attack by sea borne drones both above and below the water. ABC News. The Houthis used an unmanned underwater vessel (UAV) along with a more traditional drone boat along with a missile strike. The drones and missile was intercepted but it does show how advanced the Houthi rebels are getting. Iran is suspected to have provided the drones to the Houthis. The drones are a legitimate threat as they can overwhelm defenses of a ship if they are used in a swarm. The Houthis are probably changing tactics as their aerial drones and missiles have not been successful in destroying a US ship.

Also near Yemen a Belize flagged and British registered cargo ship was abandoned after it was hit by a Houthi missile. BBC. The Rubymar was hit by two missiles and began taking on water. The crew was evacuated but the ship has been abandoned due to damage and the fact that it was carrying dangerous fertilizer as cargo. The attack is the most successful one conducted by the Houthis since the war began. 

My Comment:

Yemen isn't getting the headlines it once did, largely because the Ukraine war has again made headlines, but the war there is actually heating up. There have been many strikes from the Houthis and the response has been air strikes from the United States. So far those strikes appear to not have accomplished their goals as the Houthis are launching even more attacks. 

The use of an underwater drone is a major escalation. Had the drone not been destroyed it could have damaged or destroyed whatever US ship was being targeted (none of the articles I have read mentioned which Navy ship was attacked, perhaps for intelligence reasons). It shows just how advanced the Houthis are now, these weapons are fairly advanced. 

And both underwater and surface drone vessels are a real threat. As critical as I have been of the Ukraine armed forces, their use of drones have largely shut down Russia's Naval operations in the Black Sea. They have damaged and destroyed several vessels, so the threat in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea is absolutely real. 

I do think it's just a matter of time before an US Navy ship is damaged or destroyed by the Houthis. If the Houthis concentrate their drones they could potentially overwhelm the defenses of a ship. Indeed, that might be why they didn't mention the ship, it's possible it exhausted its defenses and could be vulnerable to follow up attacks. 

As for the ship attacked, it seems pretty likely that it will be sunk. Some outlets are claiming it sank already but it's unclear if that actually happened. But given the ship was taking on water when it was abandoned there is a very good chance it will be lost. 

Regardless, this was a very successful attack. The ship was hit by missiles and took a lot of damage. Other ships have been hit but this is the first one that will likely be lost. It's a major escalation in the war and will make it a lot more likely that further shipping will avoid the Red Sea. 

I also don't think that any response will be successful. Previous airstrikes appear to have done little to nothing in preventing these attacks. Indeed, it seems like things are actually escalating. I also don't think anything could prevent these attacks short of putting boots on the ground or intercepting all of the weapons shipments that Iran is sending Yemen. Either of those would be a major escalation and could risk a wider regional war. 

I have to say it does seem like Yemen is winning this war. They are shutting down travel through the Red Sea and could be on the verge of actually damaging or destroying a US ship. And they are damaging both the economies of Israel and Egypt which is putting political pressure on both countries to abandon the war in Gaza. They are also defying the West in fairly convincing fashion as well. 

And the US has no good options. Shutting down the war in Gaza is a political impossibility even if that was what the Biden administration wants. And we can't really stop these attacks, short of invading Yemen or a full blockade. And doing what we are doing now? It's not working...