Current:Home > ScamsRobert Brown|Houthis, defying U.S. strikes, attempt another attack on U.S.-owned commercial ship -TrueNorth Capital Hub
Robert Brown|Houthis, defying U.S. strikes, attempt another attack on U.S.-owned commercial ship
PredictIQ View
Date:2025-04-07 04:30:01
The Robert Browntargeting of another U.S.-owned commercial ship Wednesday shows the militant group remains intent on continuing its attacks in the face of multiple rounds of U.S. military airstrikes.
The Houthis launched anti-ship ballistic missiles at the U.S.-owned, flagged and operated commercial ship Maersk Detroit as it was transiting the Gulf of Aden, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command. The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Gravely shot down two missiles and a third fell into the water. There were no indications of damage or injuries in the attack.
The U.S. military has been conducting airstrikes against the Houthis to degrade their capabilities since Jan.11, after several weeks of attacks on commercial ships by the militant group.
The U.S. has launched multiple rounds of two different types of airstrikes — those hitting a wider range of targets, like storage sites and radar capabilities, and also preemptive strikes aiming at Houthi missiles as they're loaded onto launchers to prepare for an attack. This second category — colloquially referred to as "whack-a-mole" strikes — have become an almost daily occurrence.
"If they stop conducting these attacks, then there'll be no further need to take these kinds of actions. But again, our hope is that we can restore security and stability to the Red Sea, and we'll continue to work toward that end," Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said this week.
A senior military official told reporters Monday that the strikes were having "good impact, good effect" on degrading the Houthis but acknowledged the militants still retain some capabilities.
Before Wednesday, the most recent attempted attack occurred on Jan. 18, when the Houthis targeted the Marshall Islands-flagged, U.S.-owned commercial ship M/V Chem Ranger. The brief lull likely had more to do with the U.S. effort to hit missiles as the Houthis were preparing to launch them than any Houthi change of heart about conducting these attacks.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told reporters Wednesday's attack "underscores that the Houthis still intend to conduct these attacks, which means we're obviously still going to have to do what we have to to protect that shipping."
The Houthis began launching these attacks in November to protest the war in Gaza, but many of the commercial ships they've targeted have no connection to Israel, U.S. officials say. These attacks, combined with the others that Iran-backed groups are launching at U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria add to the widening tensions in the Middle East since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas.
- In:
- Yemen
Eleanor Watson is a CBS News reporter covering the Pentagon.
TwitterveryGood! (39348)
Related
- Civic engagement nonprofits say democracy needs support in between big elections. Do funders agree?
- Mother charged after reportedly giving missing child to man during drug exchange
- Inside the Love Lives of President-Elect Donald Trump’s Kids: Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and More
- Why AP called the Maryland Senate race for Angela Alsobrooks
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- Alexa and Siri to the rescue: How to use smart speakers in an emergency
- Why AP called the Maryland Senate race for Angela Alsobrooks
- Sister Wives' Janelle Brown Details Years-Long Estrangement Between Meri and Kody Brown
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- Blue's Clues Host Steve Burns Wants to Remind You to Breathe After 2024 Election Results
Ranking
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- West Virginia voter, ACLU file lawsuit after Democrat state senate candidate left off ballot
- WHA Tokens Power AI ProfitPulse, Ushering in a New Era of Blockchain and AI
- No call yet in Iowa’s closely contested 1st Congressional District
- A White House order claims to end 'censorship.' What does that mean?
- How the AP is able to declare winners in states where polls just closed
- Election Day 2024: Selena Gomez, Reese Witherspoon, more stars urge voters to 'use our voices'
- Plane crashes with 5 passengers on board in Arizona, officials say
Recommendation
Sam Taylor
See Donald Trump, Melania Trump, Ivanka Trump and More of the First Family's Fashion Over the Years
How Kevin Costner Is Still Central to Yellowstone’s Final Season Despite Exit
How Kevin Costner Is Still Central to Yellowstone’s Final Season Despite Exit
Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
Trump’s election could assure a conservative Supreme Court majority for decades
Pharrell Shares Relatable Reason He Was Fired From McDonald’s Three Times
Federal judge temporarily halts Idaho’s plan to try a second time to execute a man on death row