Report: Moscow Looks to Capitalize on Houthi Attacks
On Wednesday, Russian state media brought attention to Houthi assaults on the US, indicating that Moscow may be looking to capitalize on the rising tensions in the Red Sea.
Over the past several months, the Houthis have been conducting attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. In retaliation, the US and its allies have undertaken airstrikes against the Houthi forces. The current situation suggests that Russia is aiming to leverage the attacks carried out by the Iranian-backed Houthis.
Houthi Attacks Highlighted by Russian Media
On Wednesday evening, TASS media brought attention to Houthi attacks, reporting that “Houthi rebels from Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement announced a military operation against US warships in the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the movement’s military spokesman Yahya Saria said on Telegram.”
The clash, as detailed in the report, involved several destroyers and US warships attempting to safeguard two US commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The outcome was a direct hit on a US warship.
Notably, Moscow seems to be leveraging these attacks for its own interests. While reports indicate that the Houthis have not targeted Russian and Chinese ships, their focus has been on vessels associated with the US, the UK, and Israel. This selective targeting appears to be advantageous for Russia.
What Houthi Said in the Latest Statement?
In a statement, the Houthis reported a conflict involving American destroyers and warships in the Gulf of Aden and Bab al-Mandab, where they targeted two American commercial ships. The outcome included a direct hit on a warship, prompting the retreat of the American commercial vessels. Despite attempts by the warships to intercept them, the Houthis claim that a number of their ballistic missiles successfully reached their targets during the more than two-hour conflict. The Yemeni armed forces, expressing support for Palestinians and Hamas, vowed to target all hostile American and British entities in the Red and Arabian seas, framing their actions as necessary military measures for the legitimate defense of their country!
Iran’s Tasnim News Agency and the Beirut-based Al Mayadeen news channel, associated with Hezbollah, also highlighted these Houthi attacks. These reports underscore a convergence of interests among Iran, Russia, the Houthis, and other pro-Iranian groups in the region.