Iranian-Backed Terrorists Fire Ballistic Missiles At Cargo Ships

Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen attacked cargo ships in the Red Sea with anti-ship ballistic missiles. According to U.S. Central Command, the attacks occurred on Tuesday with the terrorist group firing six anti-ship ballistic missiles into the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen fired anti-ship ballistic missiles at cargo ships in the Red Sea. The U.S. and U.K. conducted airstrikes against the group to stop the attacks. https://t.co/rAHs4GuUqT

— The America One News (@am1_news) February 7, 2024

In a statement announcing the attack, CENTCOM said, Three of the ASBMs were attempting to hit MV Star Nasia, a Marshall Island-flagged, Greek owned-and-operated bulk carrier transiting the Gulf of Aden. At approximately 3:20 a.m., MV Star Nasia reported an explosion near the ship causing minor damage but no injuries.”

“At 2 p.m. another missile impacted the water near the ship with no effect. At 4:30 p.m., USS Laboon (DDG 58), operating near MV Star Nasia, intercepted and shot down a third anti-ship ballistic missile fired by the Iranian-backed Houthis. MV Star Nasia remains seaworthy and is continuing toward its destination,” CENTCOM added.

The agency also revealed that the remaining anti-ship ballistic missiles that were fired that day were possibly targeting a U.K.-owned cargo ship operating in the Southern Red Sea. While the missiles landed close to the ship, it did not damage it.

The attack comes in spite of the U.S. and U.K. launching strikes against the Houthis late last week in a bid to stop the attacks and restore stability in the Red Sea.

The strikes, supported by six other countries, targeted sites linked with the terror group’s radars, air defense systems, deeply buried weapons storage facilities and missile systems and launchers. In total, the strikes reportedly hit 36 Houthi targets across 13 locations in Yemen.

Explaining the essence of the strikes, the Defense Department called them “proportionate and necessary.”

“These precision strikes are intended to disrupt and degrade the capabilities that the Houthis use to threaten global trade, and the lives of innocent mariners, and are in response to a series of illegal, dangerous, and destabilizing Houthi actions since previous coalition strikes on January 11 and 22, 2024, including the January 27 attack which struck and set ablaze the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker M/V Marlin Luanda,” a statement by the department read.