A French ship destroyed 3 ballistic missiles fired by the Houthis yesterday, Thursday (Anatolia)

The US Army said - yesterday, Thursday - that it had destroyed two anti-ship ballistic missiles and a drone boat launched by the Houthis from Yemen, while the Pentagon confirmed that the Houthis had carried out more than 50 naval attacks, and that they needed more international cooperation.

“It has been confirmed that these weapons represent an imminent threat to coalition and commercial vessels in the region,” US Central Command wrote on the X platform.

Before that, the "Embry" navigation security company announced that a commercial ship reported being exposed to fire 109 nautical miles off the coast of Yemen.

Ambre said that guards on board the ship exchanged fire with gunmen who were on a boat that approached it, and explained that the ship was no longer in danger, and no casualties were recorded.

For its part, the European Union naval mission in the southern Red Sea said - today - that it destroyed 3 ballistic missiles and a drone boat belonging to the Houthi group, with the aim of protecting commercial ships.

The European naval mission, known as ASPIDS - on the X platform - said that a French ship destroyed the ballistic missiles, while a German destroyer destroyed the drone boat operated by the Houthi group and was spotted near commercial ships.

Aspids were launched last February to help protect the main maritime trade route from drone and missile attacks launched by the Houthis.

An American fighter is on its way to strike a Houthi target (Getty)

50 attacks

In the same context, US Deputy Secretary of Defense Celes Wallander confirmed yesterday that the Houthis have carried out at least 50 attacks on ships off the coast of Yemen since the fall.

“In the Red Sea, the Houthis are seeking to disrupt this vital route for global trade, with at least 50 attacks” on ships since the fall, Wallander said during a congressional hearing.

The Houthis have been carrying out attacks on ships they say are linked to Israel since November in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.

In the face of this, the United States, which supports Israel, established a multinational naval protection force in the Red Sea in December, and together with Britain launched strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen.

But another Pentagon official acknowledged that the Houthis are able to quickly replace equipment destroyed by Western strikes.

Eric Kurella, commander of the US military command in the Middle East (Centcom), said in the same congressional session, "Only two ships can compensate for most of the Houthi equipment that we have destroyed so far."

The general added, "We must increase the work done at the international level so that we can inspect ships arriving in Hodeidah," which overlooks the Red Sea and is controlled by the Houthis, also stressing the need to put pressure on Iran, an ally of the Houthis.

Ships of Russia and China

In a related context, Bloomberg reported that diplomats from China and Russia reached an understanding with the spokesman for the Houthi group, Mohammed Abdul Salam, that their ships crossing the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden would not be targeted after negotiations in the Sultanate of Oman, according to people who requested anonymity for the site.

While neither the spokesmen for the governments of China and Russia nor the Houthi spokesman commented on questions from Bloomberg regarding this information, the site reported that this understanding was matched by the two countries providing political support to the Houthis in UN bodies such as the Security Council, according to what those sources reported.

In return, the two countries may provide political support to the Houthis in bodies such as the UN Security Council. It is not entirely clear how this support will manifest itself, but it may include a ban on further decisions against the group.

Spokesmen for the governments of China and Russia, as well as the Houthis, including their spokesman, did not respond to Bloomberg’s questions.

Al-Houthi considered overcoming American and Israeli monitoring and jamming techniques a major victory (Al-Jazeera)

Houthi's speech

In Yemen, the group's leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, announced yesterday evening future plans of great importance to carry out strikes "with more impact on enemy ships (Israeli, British, and American)."

Al-Houthi did not reveal these plans, but he added, "At the military level, we continue to develop military action and operations more and more, and the options before us are many." He continued, "Anything legitimate that we can do, we will do without hesitation or worry about the enemies' threats, classifications, and campaigns."

The Houthi leader considered that being able to "bypass American and Israeli technologies in monitoring, jamming, and interception is a victory and a major development for our military forces."

In his speech, Al-Houthi considered that "the tragedy in Gaza is a curse on the criminal killers and their supporters, and a disgrace on the foreheads of those who remain silent and onlookers."

The United States and Britain launched a series of raids on targets in Yemen after Washington announced the formation of what was called the "Prosperity Alliance" against the Houthis, with the aim of "stopping their repeated attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea."

These maritime attacks - especially near Bab al-Mandab and the Gulf of Aden - led to an increase in the cost of insurance for shipping companies, forcing many of them to change their course, and companies also temporarily suspended their operations.

The Houthis say that they will expand their attacks to prevent the crossing of ships linked to Israel from the Indian Ocean to the Cape of Good Hope, to support the Palestinians, and that any coalition will not stop their attacks, which they link stopping with the end of the Israeli aggression on Gaza.

Source: Agencies