Houthis Use Sea Drones to Attack Vessels as U.S. Aims to Secure Red Sea

June 16, 2024

Author: 

Benoit Faucon

Publication: 

Wall Street Journal

Related Country: 

  • Greece
  • Lebanon
  • Ukraine
  • Yemen

The Houthi rebels in Yemen have continued their attacks on ships in the Red Sea, recently damaging two vessels. The crew of the Greek-owned Tutor abandoned ship after it was struck by a drone boat, the first successful use of this type of weapon by the Houthis. Similarly, the Ukrainian-owned Verbena was abandoned by its crew following Houthi missile strikes. While a U.S.-led naval coalition continues its military operation to degrade the group's capabilities, it continues to find new ways to procure weapons. The Houthis have recently opened a new smuggling route from Iran through Djibouti and have sourced Chinese drone parts from Lebanon.