A flurry of drones and missiles were fired towards shipping lanes in the southern Red Sea off the Yemeni port of Hodeidah, the US military said.
US Central Command, which coordinates the US’ military operations in the region and is leading a multinational task force to counter the Houthi threat, said the “complex attack” at about 21:15pm local time (18:15 GMT) involved attack drones, anti-ship cruise missiles and a ballistic missile.
They were fired from areas of Yemen controlled by the Iranian-backed militant group into “shipping lanes where dozens of merchant vessels” were sailing on the key route linking the Mediterranean to the Indian Ocean, Central Command said on X.
US and UK naval forces shot down 18 one-way, unmanned aerial vehicles — also known as kamikaze drones — in addition to two cruise missiles and a ballistic missile, the command said.
UK defence secretary Grant Shapps added: “HMS Diamond, along with US warships, has repelled the largest attack by the Iranian-backed Houthis in the Red Sea to date. Destroying multiple attack drones with her guns and sea viper missiles.”
The response was carried out by F/A-18 combat planes launched from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D Eisenhower, as well as four other US warships and the UK’s HMS Diamond.
Central Command said it was the 26th Houthi attack on commercial shipping lanes since 19 November, although it resulted in no injuries or damage to ships.
As TradeWinds reported earlier in the day, the UK Maritime Trade Operations — a unit of Britain’s Royal Navy — said there were multiple reports of unmanned aerial drones reported on Tuesday about 50 nautical miles (93km) off Hodeidah.
“Coalition forces are responding,” the agency said.
“Vessels are advised to transit with caution and report any suspicious activity.”
The alert came as maritime security firm Ambrey Analytics also reported that “aerial projectiles” were seen at the same location on Tuesday, which is within territory controlled by the Houthi movement that has been targeting vessels in the region.
Ambrey said nine merchant ships adjusted course around the time of the incident. Crew members on one ship saw rockets fired in the vicinity, with a second vessel reporting that several missiles were fired and warships were “engaged” in the incident.
A third vessel overheard a VHF report of a nearby crew witnessing an unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, in the region, the firm said.
The target of the attacks is not known.
Ambrey told TradeWinds that the 173,900-dwt LV Mangas (built 2011), a vessel in the fleet of China’s Huayun (Hainan) Shipping, was in the vicinity of the incident but was not the target.
“Coalition warships advised vessels to proceed at maximum speed. No damage was reported to any vessels,” the firm said.
“Ambrey advised merchant ships headed through the area to minimise crew movements on the deck, and to ensure that only essential personnel remained on the bridge in case of falling debris.”
The US has been warning Houthis of “consequences” for continued attacks on shipping, although Washington has not said whether that means a strike on the group.
When asked by a reporter on Tuesday whether Washington had made a decision to take action against the Houthis, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated a recent warning to the Houthis issued by a coalition of 14 countries.
“I’m not going to speculate on what will happen in the future,” he said at a press briefing during a trip to Israel, according to a transcript. “We just want to make clear that if these actions by the Houthis continue, there will be consequences. I’m not going to say anything beyond that.”
Yannick Guerry contributed to this story.
