US Forces Destroy 2 Houthi Unmanned Surface Vessels in Red Sea

Commercial ships are docked at the Houthi-held Red Sea port of Hodeidah, Yemen, on Feb. 25, 2023. Khaled Abdullah/Reuters

U.S. forces destroyed two Houthi uncrewed surface vessels in the Red Sea on July 4, amid efforts to degrade the Iranian-backed group’s ability to conduct attacks on commercial ships passing through the region, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).

CENTCOM, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, said that its forces also destroyed a radar site in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen.

“It was determined the USVs [uncrewed surface vessels] and radar site presented an imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region,” CENTCOM said in a statement.

This came just a day after CENTCOM said that the U.S. military had destroyed two Houthi radar sites in Yemen and two unmanned surface vessels in the Red Sea.

CENTCOM said that the actions were part of its efforts to protect “freedom of navigation” and ensure the safety of international waters in the face of the Houthi’s ongoing attacks in the Red Sea.

Houthi terrorists have, for months, harassed international shipments with drone and missile attacks in response to the Israeli military campaign in the Gaza Strip against Hamas, another terrorist group.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operation (UKMTO), a maritime monitoring agency affiliated with the British Navy, said a ship came under repeated missile fire while traversing the Red Sea on June 28.

Five missiles landed near the vessel as it traveled off the coast of the terrorist-held port city of Hodeida in Yemen, according to the UKMTO. The attack didn’t cause any damage to the vessel, UKMTO added.

Houthi spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree later said that the group made two attacks on ships in the Red Sea, but it wasn’t immediately clear which ship was the one reported targeted by authorities.

The terrorists have targeted more than 60 vessels by firing missiles and drones in their campaign, which has killed a total of four sailors. They have seized one vessel and sunk two since November 2023.

The most recent ship to sink because of Houthi attacks was the M/V Tutor, a Greek-owned bulk carrier that was abandoned after being hit by a Houthi unmanned surface vessel in the Red Sea in June.

The M/V Tutor is the second ship sunk by the Houthis in three months, following the sinking of the UK-owned Rubymar in the Red Sea on March 2. That vessel was struck by a Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile.

The Houthis said their attacks target ships linked to Israel, the United States, or the United Kingdom, although many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the Israel–Hamas war.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.