July Red Sea recap: Houthis continue to target commercial vessels

U.S. forces took down dozens of Iran-backed Houthi drones in the Red Sea and in Yemen this month, as Houthi rebels continue to target civilian and commercial vessels in the region.

Specifically, the Houthis conducted attacks against MT Bentley I, a Panama-flagged, Israel-owned, Monaco-operated tanker vessel in the Red Sea, and the MT Chios Lion, a Liberian-flagged, Marshall Islands-owned, Greek-operated crude oil tanker in the Red Sea. No injuries were reported after these events.

“This continued reckless behavior by the Iranian-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden,” U.S. Central Command said in a statement after the attack. “The Houthis claim to be acting on behalf of Palestinians in Gaza and yet they are targeting and threatening the lives of third country nationals who have nothing to do with the conflict in Gaza. USCENTCOM will continue to act with partners to hold the Houthis accountable and degrade their military capabilities.”

The attacks continue to reverberate across commercial shipping.

According to a Defense Intelligence Agency report from June, container shipping through the Red Sea dropped by approximately 90 percent from December to the middle of February. The report said other shipping routes around Africa cost an additional $1 million in fuel costs – on top of extending transit time.

Additionally, at least 29 major energy and shipping companies have modified their shipping itineraries due to Houthi attacks in the region, according to the report.

All told, the ramifications of the Houthi attacks have affected at least 65 countries’ interests, the report said.

“We’re absolutely taking any Houthi threats seriously and continue to work with allies and partners to degrade and disrupt their capability to launch attacks in the Red Sea and in the region,” Pentagon press secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters July 23. “As it relates to the potential impact on U.S. forces…we’ll take all necessary measures to ensure that our forces are protected and take appropriate actions.”

Altogether, U.S. forces destroyed at least 31 Houthi air drones, 16 surface drones, and four radar sites in Yemen this month, according to a tally of incidents U.S. Central Command reported in July.

The aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower and its strike group, also wrapped up its historic deployment in July to the Middle East — totaling 275 days at sea. The carrier and its strike group were responsible for taking out a barrage of Houthi drones and missiles during the deployment.

“Many have described our deployment as unprecedented, but I would argue that every day for the last nine months, I’ve observed the consistent, relentless professionalism of the men and women aboard Ike, from launching and recovering aircraft to responding to engineering causalities and feeding the ship’s crew of 4,000 people,” Capt. Chris Hill, the commanding officer of the Eisenhower, said in a Navy news release. “It is that resiliency and tenacity that makes Ike the best.”

Ike was replaced on station by the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt and its strike group.

Go here for Navy Times’ up-to-date tracker of incidents between the Navy and the Houthis.

本月，美军在红海和也门击落了数十架伊朗支持的胡塞武装无人机，而胡塞武装分子继续在该地区袭击平民和商船。

具体而言，胡塞武装在红海袭击了悬挂巴拿马国旗、以色列所有、摩纳哥运营的油轮“宾利一号”（MT Bentley I）以及悬挂利比里亚国旗、马绍尔群岛所有、希腊运营的原油油轮“希俄斯狮号”（MT Chios Lion）。袭击事件中无人受伤。

美国中央司令部在袭击事件后发表声明称：“伊朗支持的胡塞武装持续肆无忌惮的行为威胁地区稳定，危及红海和亚丁湾海员的生命安全。胡塞武装声称代表加沙巴勒斯坦人行事，却袭击并威胁与加沙冲突毫无瓜葛的第三国国民的生命。美国中央司令部将继续与合作伙伴携手，追究胡塞武装的责任，削弱其军事能力。”

这些袭击事件的影响仍在商业航运领域持续发酵。

根据美国国防情报局6月份的一份报告，从12月到2月中旬，途经红海的集装箱运输量下降了约90%。报告称，绕行非洲的其他航线除了延长运输时间外，还增加了100万美元的燃油成本。

报告还指出，由于胡塞武装在该地区发动袭击，至少有 29 家大型能源和航运公司已经调整了航运路线。

报告称，胡塞武装袭击事件的影响已经波及至少 65 个国家的利益。

五角大楼新闻秘书、空军少将帕特·赖德7月23日告诉记者：“我们绝对严肃对待胡塞武装的任何威胁，并将继续与盟友和伙伴合作，削弱和破坏他们在红海和该地区发动袭击的能力。至于这可能对美军造成的影响……我们将采取一切必要措施，确保我方部队的安全，并采取适当的行动。”

据美国中央司令部7月份公布的事件统计数据显示，本月美军在也门共摧毁了至少31架胡塞武装的空中无人机、16架水面无人机和4个雷达站。

“德怀特·D·艾森豪威尔”号航空母舰及其打击群也于7月结束了其在中东的历史性部署——总计275天的海上航行。在部署期间，该航母及其打击群负责摧毁胡塞武装的大量无人机和导弹。

“许多人称我们的部署是前所未有的，但我认为，在过去的九个月里，我每天都亲眼目睹了‘艾森豪威尔’号上的官兵们始终如一、孜孜不倦的专业精神，从飞机的起降到应对工程故障，再到为舰上4000名官兵提供餐饮，” “艾森豪威尔”号舰长克里斯·希尔上校在海军新闻稿中说道。“正是这种韧性和毅力，使‘艾森豪威尔’号成为最优秀的战舰。”

艾克号航母被西奥多·罗斯福号航空母舰及其打击群取代。

点击此处查看《海军时报》关于海军与胡塞武装之间事件的最新追踪报道。