CRS says Houthis pose a long term threat

Image: CRS

After Israel responded massively to an attack on the Port of Eilat with an attack on the Houthi-held Yemeni Port of Hodeida on July 20, there was a lull in the Houthi attacks on merchant shipping.

But not for long, indicating that the Houthis pose a long term threat that won’t go away any time soon, with a recent Congressional Research Service (CRS) “In Focus” briefing saying that “Yemen’s underlying conflict remains unresolved and the long-term threats the Houthis could pose present a vexing challenge for policymakers to consider.”

After a ten-day pause following the Israeli strike on Hodeida, Houthi attacks on merchant shipping resumed this month, with United Kingdom Maritime Trades Operation (UKMTO) reporting an incident on August 3 in which the master of a vessel reporting that the ship’s armed security team had observed a small explosion in close proximity to the vessel, which sustained no damage. The following day, that same vessel reported being struck by what the company security officer described as a missile. No fires, water ingress or oil leaks were perceived and the ship proceeded on its voyage.

That vessel was the Liberian-flagged containership M/V Groton and had left Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates bound for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

The Joint Maritime Information Center (JMIC) assesses that the Groton was targeted “due to other vessels within its company structure making recent port calls in Israel.”

Meantime, On August 5, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) has likely thwarted more Houthi attacks.

Yesterday it reported:

“In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command forces successfully destroyed three Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen over the Gulf of Aden.

“Additionally, USCENTCOM forces successfully destroyedto one Iranian-backed Houthi UAS in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen.

“Separately, USCENTCOM forces successfully destroyed one Houthi uncrewed surface vessel (USV), one Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) and one Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) in the Red Sea.”

As vessel owners and charterers weigh their Red Sea routing options, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) has briefing that gives some perspective on the Yemen situation, what’s been developing in the Red Sea , the major players and the threat posed by the Houthis.

You can read it HERE: