Red Sea Missile Incident: Houthi Rebels Suspected

On May 23, a missile landed in the Red Sea near a commercial vessel, likely launched by Yemen's Houthi rebels. The attack caused no damage but disrupted shipping routes. While the Houthis did not immediately claim responsibility, their frequent attacks on maritime traffic in the region raise concerns.

A missile splashed down in the waters of the Red Sea on Thursday, but caused no damage to a passing commercial vessel in an attack likely carried out by Yemen's Houthi rebels, officials said.

The Houthis did not immediately claim the attack, though it can take hours or even days for them to acknowledge their assaults.

The attack happened in the southern Red Sea near the crucial Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said.

The private security firm Ambrey similarly reported the attack.

The Houthis have launched attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden in recent months, demanding that Israel ends the war in Gaza, which has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians there. The war began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking some 250 hostage.

The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the United States Maritime Administration.

Shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has declined because of the threat. In recent weeks, the tempo of Houthi attacks has dropped, though the rebels have claimed shooting down US surveillance drones.