Houthis struck US ship with a Missile

American container ship, the M/V Gibraltar Eagle, was hit by a ballistic missile launched by Yemen's Houthi militants on Monday, according to the US Central Command. The Houthi militants, who are backed by Iran, reportedly targeted American merchant shipping in the Gulf of Aden in retaliation against Israel's conflict with Hamas.

The Central Command oversees US military operations in the Middle East and stated that the ship's operation remained somewhat unaffected, with no reported injuries or substantial damage. The missile strike on the US-operated ship comes just days after an unsuccessful missile launch from Yemen.

This take place in the wake of a joint US and UK military operation in the Red Sea, aimed at safeguarding commercial shipping routes via the Suez Canal between the Arabian and Mediterranean Seas. Approximately 15% of global shipping traffic passes through this route.

Rising attacks from the Houthi forces, which have targeted 28 merchant vessels as of Monday, prompted major shipping firms like Maersk, MSC, CMA CGM, and Hapag-Lloyd to reroute through the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa, a considerably lengthier passage between Asia and Europe. The militants have also set their sights on UK and US military vessels operating in the area.

Last week, American and British military operations responded with roughly 70 airstrikes on Houthi bases in Yemen. Although the strikes are said to have achieved their targets, The New York Times suggests only 25% of Houthi's military assets were eradicated.

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced to the parliament that the UK stands prepared for further military action if needed. Anonymous American officials echoed this sentiment during a conversation with The New York Times.

However, the military campaigns launched by the US and the UK were denounced by Russia and Turkey. The operations were labelled "illegitimate" by Moscow due to lack of UN Security Council approval, while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan criticized the nations for allegedly attempting to transform the Red Sea into a "sea of blood."