Missiles From Yemen Targeted 98 Israeli, U.S. and U.K. Ships Since November
Yemen's Houthi group said Thursday it has targeted 98 Israeli, U.S., and British ships in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean since November 2023. The leader of Yemen's Houthi movement, Abdul Malik Al-Houthi, said today the group had launched 14 operations in two weeks in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Arabian Sea and even the Indian Ocean. He said in a televised speech today, "Our front in Yemen continues its military operations in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Indian Ocean." Al-Houthi added, "We affirm to the Americans, the British, and everyone else that no one can ever stop our supportive operations for Gaza."
One death has been reported in Yemen's Hadramout province following torrential rains that hit the entire Gulf region, causing massive damage across several countries. Local officials said that the heavy rainfall and high winds caused significant damage to at least 33 electricity networks in Hadramawt alone, in addition to massive destruction in public properties. Deputy Governor of Hadramout province for Technical Affairs, Ameen BaRziq, said, "The initial reports of the rains and torrential rains recorded the death of one citizen, in addition to causing damage to public asphalt roads and various agricultural lands, and sweeping away a group of citizens' cars and vehicles."
A suspected Iranian spy ship appears to be sailing home after nearly three years at sea. The return of the MV Behshad, a cargo ship that U.S. analysts and officials suspect may have provided information and targeting assistance to Houthis in the Red Sea, would remove one possible high-profile target for any Israeli strikes. The Behshad crossed from the Arabian Gulf into the Persian Gulf early Thursday morning and was due to arrive later in the evening at the port of Bandar Abbas on Iran's southern coast, according to ship tracking website MarineTraffic.com. The MV Behshad had been at sea since June 18, 2021.
The United States on Thursday announced new sanctions on Iran targeting its unarmed aerial vehicle production after it attacked Israel, and U.S. President Joe Biden said G7 leaders were committed to acting together to increase economic pressure on Tehran. Biden said the United States and its allies had helped Israel beat back the April 13 missile and drone strike and were now holding Iran accountable with the new sanctions and export controls. "The sanctions target leaders and entities connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Iran's Defense Ministry, and the Iranian government's missile and drone program that enabled this brazen assault," Biden said in a statement.
