Iranian-Backed Terrorists Fire Multiple Ballistic Missiles At Oil Tanker In Gulf Of Aden

Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen fired anti-ship ballistic missiles at cargo ships in the Red Sea this week despite the U.S. and U.K. conducting airstrikes against the group to stop the attacks.

U.S. Central Command said that the attacks happened throughout the day on Tuesday as the terror group fired six anti-ship ballistic missiles (ASBM) into the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

“Three of the ASBMs were attempting to hit MV Star Nasia, a Marshall Island-flagged, Greek owned-and-operated bulk carrier transiting the Gulf of Aden,” CENTCOM said in a statement. “At approximately 3:20 a.m., MV Star Nasia reported an explosion near the ship causing minor damage but no injuries. At 2 p.m. another missile impacted the water near the ship with no effect. At 4:30 p.m., USS Laboon (DDG 58), operating near MV Star Nasia, intercepted and shot down a third anti-ship ballistic missile fired by the Iranian-backed Houthis. MV Star Nasia remains seaworthy and is continuing toward its destination.”

The statement said that the remaining ASBMs that were fired were believed to be targeting the Barbados-flagged MV Morning Tide, a U.K.-owned cargo ship operating in the Southern Red Sea.

The missiles landed near the ship, but did not damage it.

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These latest attacks against merchant ships come after the U.S. and U.K. — with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand — launched strikes against the Houthis late last week that the Department of Defense described as “proportionate and necessary.”

“These precision strikes are intended to disrupt and degrade the capabilities that the Houthis use to threaten global trade, and the lives of innocent mariners, and are in response to a series of illegal, dangerous, and destabilizing Houthi actions since previous coalition strikes on January 11 and 22, 2024, including the January 27 attack which struck and set ablaze the Marshall Islands-flagged oil tanker M/V Marlin Luanda,” the statement said.

The strikes “specifically targeted sites associated with the Houthis’ deeply buried weapons storage facilities, missile systems and launchers, air defense systems, and radars.”