The Houthi movement is a Shiitemilitant organization which controls northern Yemen and is supported and funded by Iran;[4] it reportedly serves as Iran's proxy in regional wars.[5] In August 2018, a United Nations document had revealed that North Korea had also funded and supported the Houthis via Syria after a meeting between a Houthi member and a North Korean government official.[6][7][8] The movement's slogan is "Death to America, Death to Israel, Curse the Jews, Victory to Islam."[9]
After the outbreak of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war, militant groups across the Middle East, including the Houthis, expressed support for the Palestinians and threatened to attack Israel. Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi warned the United States against intervening, threatening retaliation with drones and missiles.[10]
On 19 October 2023, U.S. officials said the United States NavydestroyerUSSCarney shot down three land-attack cruise missiles and several drones heading toward Israel launched by the Houthis in Yemen. This was the first action by the U.S. military to defend Israel since the outbreak of the war.[10] It was later reported that the ship shot down four cruise missiles and 15 drones.[14] Another missile was reportedly intercepted by Saudi Arabia.[15]
On 27 October 2023, two droneswere fired in a northerly direction from the southern Red Sea. According to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officials, their target was Israel, but they did not cross the border from Egypt. Of the two drones, one fell short and hit a building adjacent to a hospital in Taba, Egypt, injuring six; the other was shot down near an electricity plant close to the town of Nuweiba, Egypt.[16][17][18] A Houthi official later made a one-word post on Twitter after the drone crashed in Taba, mentioning the nearby Israeli town of Eilat.[19]
On 31 October, an alert was triggered in Eilat, Eilot and the Shahorit industrial park area regarding the penetration of hostile aircraft from the Red Sea. The aircraft was successfully intercepted over the Red Sea. The Arrow system intercepted a ballistic missile and the Air Force intercepted several cruise missiles fired from the Red Sea towards Eilat. The Houthis took responsibility for the launches.[20] One cruise missile was shot down by an F-35i Adir jet.[21] The downing of the missile by the Arrow marks the first time it has been used in the Israel–Hamas war.[22] According to Israeli officials, the interception occurred above Earth's atmosphere above the Negev Desert, making it the first instance of space warfare in history.[23]
November 2023
On 1 November at 0:45, the IDF intercepted an air threat fired from Yemen and identified south of Eilat.[24] A U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone was shot down off the coast of Yemen by Houthi air defences on 8 November; the Pentagon previously said that MQ-9 drones were flying over Gaza in an intelligence gathering role to aid in the hostage recovery efforts.[25] On 9 November, the Houthis fired a missile towards the city of Eilat.[26] The missile was intercepted by an "Arrow 3" missile, marking the first time it was used in an interception.[27]
On 14 November, the Houthis fired numerous missiles, one of which was aimed towards the city of Eilat. The missile was intercepted by an Arrow missile according to Israeli officials.[28] The following day, US officials said that USSThomas Hudner shot down a drone, fired from Yemen, that was headed towards it.[29] On 22 November, the Houthis fired a cruise missile aimed towards the city of Eilat. Israeli officials said the missile was successfully shot down by an F-35.[30] On 23 November 2023, US officials said that the destroyer USS Thomas Hudner had shot down several attack drones launched from Yemen.[31]
On 29 November 2023, U.S. officials said the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Carney shot down a Houthi KAS-04 drone as the destroyer approached the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.[32] On 30 November 2023, Saudi media reported that an Israeli airstrike caused an explosion at a Houthi arms depot in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen. Houthi officials denied the report, stating that a gas station was hit instead. A member of the Houthis' political bureau, Hezam al-Asad, said that the explosion was caused by the remnants of a bomb left over from the Yemeni civil war.[33]
December 2023
On 6 December 2023, the Houthi movement launched several ballistic missiles at Israeli military posts in Eilat. On the same day, USS Mason shot down a drone launched from Yemen. There were no clear indications on what its target was.[34]
Attacked twice; first unsuccessfully with an anti-ship ballistic missile and then successfully with an anti-ship missile. Minor damage reported by the crew.
Struck by an anti-ship missile; crew reported damage and onboard fires. Later, a drone assessed to be heading for the Strinda was shot down by the French Navy frigate Languedoc.
An initial hijacking attempt was interdicted by the USS Mason. This was followed by the launch of two anti-ship missiles, both of which missed. Finally, a one-way attack drone was shot down by the Mason before it could reach the vessel.
An explosion in the water near the ship was reported with no ship damage or crew casualties. A Houthi spokesperson claimed responsibility for the attack.
Houthi fighters taking over the ship Galaxy Leader
On 19 November, the car transporter Galaxy Leader was hijacked by the Houthis, with 25 individuals on board.[38] The empty car transporter on route to India was boarded using a Mil Mi-17 helicopter.[49] The incident followed a statement by Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarea on the group's Telegram channel, declaring their intention to target ships owned, operated by Israeli companies, or carrying the Israeli flag.[50] According to the ship's owner, the vessel was then moved to the Yemeni port of Hodeidah.[51]
Sarea also urged countries to remove their citizens from crews of such ships. Earlier, Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi had threatened further attacks against Israeli interests, including potential targets in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. His speech emphasized the group's capability to monitor and target Israeli ships in these regions.[52]
On 24 November 2023, Iran allegedly attacked the CMA CGM Symi, a Malta-flagged container ship in the Indian Ocean.[53] A drone was shot down over the Red Sea by an IDF fighter jet.[54]
On 26 November 2023, the Liberian-flagged MVCentral Park, an oil tanker managed by Zodiac Maritime, was seized off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden. It carried a full cargo of phosphoric acid with 22 crew members consisting of Russian, Vietnamese, Bulgarian, Indian, Georgian and Filipino nationals.[55] The destroyer USS Mason, along with a partner nation in the multilateral anti-piracy operation CTF 151, conducted a visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) operation that facilitated the release of the Central Park and captured the hijackers on the ship following their attempted escape. The U.S. military reported that in the early morning hours of the following day, two ballistic missiles were fired in the direction of the Mason and the Central Park from Houthi territory in Yemen and ended up in the Gulf of Aden. The ship was not unharmed.[56][57] The five hijackers, all suspected Somali pirates, were detained by the U.S. Navy.[57][58]
On 3 December 2023, the United States Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Carney reportedly shot down three attack drones launched from Yemen that were approaching the ship. After shooting down the drones, the ship responded to a distress call by three commercial ships in the area (the Unity Explorer, Number 9 and Sophie II) which were under attack by ballistic missiles launched from Yemen.[42]
The Houthis claimed responsibility for two of the attacks. Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree stated that one merchant vessel was hit by a missile and another by a drone while in the Bab el-Mandeb strait, without mentioning a warship.[42] A Pentagon source said that the attacks on Carney caused no injuries or damage.[59]
On 12 December 2023, the Houthis launched an anti-ship cruise missile attack against the Norwegian commercial ship Strinda, an oil and chemical tanker operated by the J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi company, while it was close to the Bab-el-Mandeb. The Strinda was on its way from Malaysia to Italy (via the Suez Canal). The attack caused a fire aboard the ship; no crew members were injured.[60][61] The ship was carrying cargo of palm oil. The French Armed Forces Ministry and U.S. Department of Defense reported that the Languedoc shot down a drone targeted at the Strinda, and the USS Mason also rendered aid. The Houthi attack on the Strinda was an expansion of its series of attacks against maritime shipping in the strait; the Houthis began to attack commercial vessels without any discernible tie to Israel.[61]
On 13 December 2023, Houthi rebels attempted to board the Ardmore Encounter, a Marshall Islands-flagged commercial tanker coming from Mangalore, India and en route to either Rotterdam, Netherlands or Gavle, Sweden, but failed, prompting a distress call from the ship. They then targeted the tanker with missiles, which missed. The USS Mason responded to the tanker’s distress call and shot down a UAV launched from a Houthi-controlled area. The Ardmore Encounter was able to continue its voyage without further incident.[62]
On 14 December 2023, a Houthi-launched missile was fired at the Maersk Gibraltar, though it missed its target.[63] On 15 December 2023, Houthi spokesperson Yahya Sarea claimed responsibility for attacks on two Liberian-flagged vessels identified as MSC Alanya and MSC Palatium III. The Houthis fired naval missiles at the ships as they alleged they were traveling to Israel.[64]
On 15 December, it was reported that the Liberian-flagged Al-Jasrah, which is owned by Hapag Lloyd, caught fire after being hit by a Houthi-launched projectile while sailing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.[65] On 16 December 2023, Royal Navy destroyer HMSDiamond shot down a drone over the Red Sea while it was targeting a commercial ship.[3]
On 18 December 2023, Houthis claimed to have launched attacks targeting two cargo vessels in the Red Sea near Mocha port, the MSC Clara and the Norwegian-owned Swan Atlantic. The Swan Atlantic's owner, Inventor Chemical Tankers, said its water tank was damaged in the attack and denied it has any Israeli ties.[47]
Impact
Houthi attacks have impacted shipping into Israel and local trade, with commercial shipping to the port of Eilat having almost completely ceased. Instead, commercial ships coming from Asia to Israel, as well as some commercial ships not destined for Israel, have started to go around Africa, which makes the journey around three weeks longer while increasing expenses.[66] By 21 December, over 100 container ships have been rerouted to go around Africa, each adding around 6,000 nautical miles to the trip distance.[67]
Another impact of Houthi involvement was that insurance costs for commercial ships that go through the Red Sea have increased; Israeli ships have seen an increase of 250%, and others were unable to get any insurance.[68]
While Israelis would face delays in the supply chain and price hikes, the effects on the Egyptian economy are more severe as shipping through the Suez Canal contributes nearly $9.4 billion to the Egyptian economy which is suffering from a debt crisis made worse by trade disruptions with Israel due to the war in Gaza.[69][70]
On 21 December, the chief executive of Eilat Port said the port has seen an 85% drop in activity since the Yemeni attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.[77]
In a speech at a manufacturing exposition following the incident of 27 October, Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi urged all parties in the 2023 Israel–Hamas war to respect Egypt's sovereignty, and emphasized that the Egyptian Army was able to protect the country in case of any more attacks.[78]
In early December 2023, Israel called upon Western allies to respond to threats to maritime shipping from the Houthis; Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi said that if threats continue, "we will act to remove this blockade."[61]
While the U.S. Navy has shot down Houthi rockets and missiles in the Red Sea, the U.S. declined thus far to respond with military retaliation.[79][80] However, in early December 2023, the U.S. said that it was in talks with allies on the creation of a naval task force to provide protective escorts to commercial vessels in the Bab-el-Mandeb strait and Gulf of Aden region, similar to the naval escorts of vessels in the Arabian Gulf and through the Strait of Hormuz during the "Tanker War" in the 1980s.[80] The proposed name of the escort operation is "Prosperity Guardian".[81]
The Southern Transitional Council reportedly said in December 2023 that it was willing to cooperate with Israel to fight against the Houthis.[82]
USS Carney (DDG-64) is the 14th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer in the United States Navy. The guided-missile destroyer is the first to be named after Admiral Robert Carney, who served as Chief of Naval Operations during the Eisenhower administration.
USS Mason (DDG-87) is an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer in the United States Navy. She is named in honor of the Black crewmembers who served on board USS Mason(DE-529) during the period of racial segregation in the United States Armed Forces.
The Port of Eilat is the only Israeli port on the Red Sea, located at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba.
HMS Diamond is the third ship of the Type 45 or Daring-class air-defence guided missile destroyers built for the Royal Navy. She was launched in 2007, and completed her contractor's sea trials and arrived at her base port in 2010. Diamond formally entered service in 2011.
A/S J. Ludwig Mowinckels Rederi is a Bergen-based shipping company that operates eight tankers with six newbuildings. The company is privately owned and has divided ownership between one foundation and the Mowinckel family through the founder's J. Ludwig Mowinckel's wife Julie Mowinckel's will and testament - still after 30 years waiting to be settled. The foundation "Magda Muller Mowincels Legat" was set up in 1985 by Magda Mowinckel - the daughter of the founder - and aims to protect and serve for the company's economy and existence.
The Houthi movement, officially known as Ansar Allah, is a Shia Islamist political and military organization that emerged from Saada Governorate, Yemen in the 1990s. It is predominantly made up of Zaidi Shias, with their namesake leadership being drawn largely from the Houthi tribe.
There are no diplomatic relations that exist between Israel and Yemen and relations between the two countries are very tense. Yemen refuses the admission of people with an Israeli passport or any passport with an Israeli stamp, and the country is defined as an "enemy state" by Israeli law. During the 2023 Israel–Hamas war war, the Iran backed Houthi movement in Yemen launched missile attacks against Israel and ships in the Red Sea.
The Houthi–Saudi Arabian conflict is an ongoing armed conflict between the Royal Saudi Armed Forces and Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi forces that has been taking place in the Arabian Peninsula, including the southern Saudi regions of Asir, Jizan, and Najran, and northern Yemeni governorates of Saada, Al Jawf, and Hajjah, since the onset of the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen in 2015.
The following is a timeline of the Yemeni civil war, which began in September 2014.
The Burkan-2H, or Volcano-2H is a mobile short-range ballistic missile used by the Houthis militants in Yemen. Hezbollah claims to have launched one against Israel. The Volcano H-2 was first launched in July 2017. It is related to the Scud missile family.
The 2020 Riyadh drone and missile attack was a cruise missile and drone attack carried out by the Yemeni Houthi rebels which occurred on 23 June 2020. The attack, according to the Houthis, targeted the King Khalid Airport and the Defense Ministry headquarters in Saudi Arabia's capital of Riyadh.
The 2022 Abu Dhabi attack was a terrorist attack against three oil tanker trucks and an under construction airport extension infrastructure in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates conducted by the Houthi movement using drones and missiles. Although several missiles and drones were intercepted, 3 civilians were killed and 6 were injured by a drone attack.
Events in the year 2023 in Yemen.
Some developments may become known or understood only in retrospect, so this is not an exhaustive list. Events on the ground for which the precise time is known are in Israel Summer Time (UTC+3) until October 29 when Israel Standard Time (UTC+2) resumed.
On 18 October 2023, American military bases in northern Iraq and eastern Syria were struck by three drones. Pentagon officials stated that there were few casualties. On 26 October, the United States Department of Defense said it had conducted attacks on two facilities in eastern Syria linked to IRGC-backed militias in retaliation for the strikes. On 8 November, the US officially reported that Iranian-affiliated militias had carried out more than 40 successful drone and rocket strikes targeting US airbases in Iraq and Syria carried out within three weeks. In addition, a US MQ-9 Reaper drone was shot down in international airspace near Yemen by the Houthis.
On 19 and 27 October 2023, the Houthis carried out drone attacks which were aimed at Israel.
Galaxy Leader is a roll-on/roll-off vehicle carrier built in 2002 at Stocznia Gdynia in Gdynia, Poland. It is owned by Ray Shipping, a company partly owned by Israeli businessman Rami Ungar.
Operation Prosperity Guardian is a military operation by a multinational coalition formed in December 2023 to respond to Houthi-led attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
United States conflict with Houthi militias is a conflict that began in late 2023 with US Navy forces fighting against drone attacks on Navy ships and other vessels by armed groups of the Houthi movement.
↑ "North Korea is hiding nukes and selling weapons, alleges confidential UN report". CNN. 5 February 2019. Archived from the original on 1 June 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2019. The summary also accuses North Korea of violating a UN arms embargo and supplying small arms, light weapons and other military equipment to Libya, Sudan, and Houthi rebels in Yemen, through foreign intermediaries.
↑ "Secret UN report reveals North Korea attempts to supply Houthis with weapons". Al-Arabiya. 4 August 2018. Archived from the original on 4 August 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2018. The report said that experts were investigating efforts by the North Korean Ministry of Military Equipment and Korea Mining Development Trading Corporation (KOMID) to supply conventional arms and ballistic missiles to Yemen's Houthi group.
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Saudi Arabia [a] 
Egypt [a] 
Unclear (see Houthi armed strength)
1 Sa'ar 6-class corvette [1] 
3 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers [a] 
1 FREMM multipurpose frigate [2] 
1 Type 45 destroyer [3] 
