Red Sea crisis: Houthis use unmanned underwater vessels for first time, says US

Red Sea crisis: The United States said that its forces in the Red Sea region conducted five "self defense strikes" against three anti-ship cruise missiles as well as one unmanned underwater vessel (UUV) and an unmanned surface vessel (USV) in the Yemeni territories controlled by the country's Houthi rebels.

The Houthis declared an unprecedented offensive against US maritime assets in the Red Sea on October 23 last year in purported solidarity with Palestinians under attack in Gaza following Israel's retaliatory state of war after the October 7 Hamas attacks. While they initially claimed that their state of offensive was specifically against Israel-linked merchant vessels, in the forthcoming weeks, several merchant vessels from other nations also came under attack— stoking a heightened deployment of maritime assets by the US and allies in the region.

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"This is the first observed Houthi employment of a UUV since attacks began in Oct. 23," the US Central Command said.

It also said that the military equipment allegedly possessed by the Houthi rebels in Yemen "presented an imminent threat to the US Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region", and thus they determined to target them on February 17.

"These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US Navy and merchant vessels," the US Central Command reasoned.

Earlier on Feb 16, the USState Department announced that a Panamanian-flagged tanker carrying crude oil bound for India was struck by a missile in the Red Sea.

Around 20,000 ships transit every year through the Suez Canal, carrying millions of barrels of oil every day as well asgoods made in Asia.

According to the London-based International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), 12 per cent of the world's ship-borne trade passes through the Red Sea. The Houthi attacks have thereforedisrupted one of the world's busiest shipping routes as shipping companiesare using a much longer route to Europe around southern Africa instead.

The US and allies have been carrying out air strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen since 11 January. There have been several more strikes on maritime vesselssince then.

US President Joe Biden said they were in "direct response" to the attacks on Red Sea ships, which "jeopardised trade, and threatened freedom of navigation".

(With inputs from agencies)