Houthis Threaten to Reach Deeper into Indian Ocean

A recent attack damaged yet another vessel, this time by the Houthis, who have now announced they possess hypersonic missiles and plan to extend their operational reach into the Indian Ocean. Their goal is to block ships associated with their adversaries from navigating past the Cape of Good Hope.

In their ongoing five-month operation in support of Hamas, the Houthis of Yemen have concentrated their efforts on attacking over 65 maritime vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. As a result, approximately two-thirds of all shipping traffic between Asia and Europe is now circumventing this region, opting to sail around the African continent instead.

Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthis in Yemen, declared in a broadcasted speech yesterday that their efforts to target ships would intensify, specifically aiming to stop vessels linked to Israel from traversing the Indian Ocean en route to the Cape of Good Hope.

"Our primary conflict involves halting the passage of vessels connected to the Israeli adversary not just through the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden but also extending into the Indian Ocean towards the Cape of Good Hope. This marks a significant phase in our strategy, and we have already started executing our related operations," stated al-Houthi. Furthermore, there are multiple reports suggesting that the group, which is supported by Iran, now has hypersonic missiles at their disposal.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center, part of the British military, reported that a vessel was “struck by a missile” early at around 3 am today.

According to the UKMTO, "The vessel has sustained some damage." It went on to confirm that the crew was "safe" and that the ship was proceeding on its course, indicating the damage was not critical. This incident occurred 76 miles west of Hodeidah, Yemen.