The United Nations Security Council is set to vote Wednesday on a resolution that would condemn and demand an immediate halt to attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on merchant and commercial ships in the Red Sea area.
The US draft resolution, obtained by The Associated Press, says at least two dozen Houthi attacks are impeding global commerce “and undermine navigational rights and freedoms as well as regional peace and security.”
The Iranian-backed rebel group had begun attacking ships it deemed as tied to Israel with missiles, drones, and raids.
Overnight, US Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed that the US and British armies shot down 21 drones and missiles fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels toward the Red Sea.
“On Jan. 9, at approximately 9:15 p.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthis launched a complex attack of Iranian-designed one-way attack UAVs (OWA UAVs), anti-ship cruise missiles, and an anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen into the Southern Red Sea, towards international shipping lanes where dozens of merchant vessels were transiting,” CENTCOM said in a statement.
“Eighteen OWA UAVs, two anti-ship cruise missiles, and one anti-ship ballistic missile were shot down by a combined effort of F/A-18s from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), USS Gravely (DDG 107), USS Laboon (DDG 58), USS Mason (DDG 87), and the United Kingdom’s HMS Diamond (D34). This is the 26th Houthi attack on commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea since Nov. 19. There were no injuries or damage reported,” it added.
22 nations recently agreed to participate in a US-led coalition to safeguard commercial traffic in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks.
Last week, a group of 13 countries, led by the United States, warned the Houthi rebels of unspecified consequences unless they halt their attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea.