Escalation at the Red Sea – US warns of environmental disaster Two years of war in Ukraine: total confusion about number of victims

Attacks by Yemen’s Houthi militias on international cargo ships continue off the coast of Yemen. A militia spokesman said several missiles had been fired at the US-flagged ‘Torm Thor’ in the Gulf of Aden. In addition, American warships in the Red Sea were also attacked with drones. The American regional command Centcom announced that the “USS Mason” had intercepted a missile believed to have been fired at the “Torm Thor”. “Neither the USS Mason nor the MV Torm Thor were damaged and there were no injuries,” the US military said in a statement. According to data from the Vesselfinder tracking service, the tanker was moored on Sunday near the Gulf of Aden, off the port of Djibouti.

More Houthi positions were attacked

On Sunday evening, US and British forces, along with other allies, again attacked the positions of the Iran-backed Houthi militia in Yemen. The US Department of Defense in Washington said a total of 18 targets were attacked at eight locations. The US and Britain responded to the Houthis’ continued attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. Targets included underground Houthi weapons depots, missile storage facilities, drones, air defense systems and radar systems.

The group’s leader, Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, said in a televised address on Thursday that they were relying on escalation in response to Israel’s escalation in the Gaza Strip. Previously, Houthi officials said that in addition to ships linked to Israel, American and British vessels would also be targeted.

The sea route through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal is one of the most important trade routes in the world. Due to the attacks by the Houthis armed by Iran, major shipping companies are increasingly avoiding the shortest sea connection between Asia and Europe.

At the same time, the US warned of an environmental disaster in the Red Sea because of the attacks. A week ago, a cargo ship carrying fertilizer was attacked and leaked. The ship was at anchor and slowly filling with water, the US military said. An oil slick almost 30 kilometers long has now formed. (sda/dpa)