US Army: The Houthis fired two missiles into the Red Sea, but no casualties were reported
US Central Command said on Friday that the Houthi group in Yemen fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles into the Red Sea on May 23.
The US Central Command confirmed, in a statement published on the “X” platform, that no casualties or damage had been reported, whether by the United States, the coalition, or commercial ships passing through the region.
Central Command noted that “the malicious and reckless activities of the Iranian-backed militia threaten regional stability, as well as the lives of sailors in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.”
This comes as the Houthi group announced today that it launched attacks on three ships. Yahya Sarie, the military spokesman for the Houthis, said that the group targeted the ship (Yannis) in the Red Sea, the ship (Essex) in the Mediterranean Sea, and the ship (MSC Alexandra) in the Arabian Sea.
Navigational data showed that the liquefied petroleum gas tanker Essex, flying the Liberian flag, was anchored off the coast of the Egyptian port of Alexandria in the Mediterranean Sea on Friday.
The ship is operated by Zodiac Maritime, which is controlled by Israeli businessman Eyal Ofer. A Zodiac Maritime spokesman said, “The ship is safely anchored in Egyptian waters and there is no indication of anything unusual.”
In a clear reference to Essex, British maritime security company Ambrey said in a memo that the ship was moving between Alexandria and Port Said in Egypt and had not docked at any Israeli port in the past few weeks.
Embry said, "The tanker did not move more than 15 nautical miles off the Egyptian coast during the previous week. The Houthis' language indicates that they did not hit the ship."
The Iran-allied group has been launching drone and missile attacks in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden since November.
This forced shipping companies to change their routes to longer and more expensive trips around Africa, raising fears that the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) could expand and destabilize the Middle East.
