Escalating Tensions in the Middle East: Houthis Target Ship Farther Than Ever Before

Yemen's Houthi rebels have reportedly launched an attack on a ship in the Gulf of Aden, approximately 280 miles southeast of Nishtun, Yemen. This attack marks a significant escalation in the group's campaign, targeting a vessel farther from previous assaults than any before. Officials suspect that the Houthis are responsible, though an official claim has yet to be made.

Yemen's Houthi rebels have launched an attack on a ship in the Gulf of Aden, further away from nearly all of their previous assaults in the region. The attack occurred on Monday morning, approximately 280 miles southeast of Nishtun, Yemen, close to the border with Oman. The British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center reported that the attack targeted a merchant vessel, resulting in an explosion in close proximity. The crew of the ship remained safe, and the vessel continued to its next port of call.

Escalating Tensions in the Middle East: Houthis Target Ship Farther Than Ever Before

The attack comes as the U.S. has recently deployed the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower back home after an eight-month deployment in which it led the American response to the Houthi assaults. The Houthis have drastically reduced shipping through the Gulf of Aden, a crucial route for Asian, Middle East, and European markets. They have vowed to continue their attacks as long as the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip persists.

Suspicion for the attack immediately fell on the Houthis, who did not immediately claim responsibility. However, it is common for the rebels to take hours or even days to acknowledge their attacks. Somali pirates have also been known to operate in the region, but they typically seize vessels for ransom rather than launch attacks against them.

Escalating Tensions in the Middle East: Houthis Target Ship Farther Than Ever Before

The attack occurred in the outer reaches of the Gulf of Aden, where it becomes the Arabian Sea and eventually the Indian Ocean. Of the more than 60 attacks launched by the Houthis since November, specifically targeting vessels, this would be one of the furthest.

In May, a Portuguese-flagged container ship came under attack by a drone in the far reaches of the Arabian Sea. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the attack, but experts questioned whether Iran, the Houthis' main benefactor, could have launched it. The Houthis have claimed attacks later assessed to have been conducted by Iran, including the 2019 attack on Saudi Arabia's oil fields that temporarily halved the kingdom's energy production.

The Houthis have made several claims without evidence of targeting vessels at even greater distances, although there has been no independent confirmation of any of those attacks actually taking place. In their campaign, the rebels have also fired missiles and drones, resulting in the deaths of four sailors. They have seized one vessel and sunk two since November.

A U.S.-led airstrike campaign has targeted the Houthis since January, with a series of strikes on May 30 killing at least 16 people and wounding 42 others, according to rebel reports.

The Houthis claim that their attacks are directed at ships linked to Israel, the United States, or Britain. However, many of the ships attacked have little or no connection to the Israel-Hamas war, including those bound for Iran.