Houthi missile hits oil tanker in Gulf of Aden; U.S. responds with airstrikes

An oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden was struck by a missile fired by the Houthis Friday night, which was followed by American forces responding with yet another round of airstrikes aimed at the Iranian-backed militia in Yemen.

The Houthi anti-ship missile hit and damaged the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, the M/V Marlin Luanda, but there were no injuries reported according to CENTCOM, the U.S. Central Command, reported The Washington Times.

This was the latest attack by the Houthis against commercial ships traveling through these waterways, including the Red Sea. It is one of the busiest ship corridors in the world and has resulted in a large number of ships going way out of their way at great cost to avoid such consequences.

“U.S. Central Command Forces conducted a strike against a Houthi anti-ship missile aimed into the Red Sea and which was prepared to launch,” CENTCOM said in a statement. “U.S. forces identified the missile in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined it presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the U.S. Navy ships in the region. U.S. Forces subsequently struck and destroyed the missile in self-defense. This action will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy vessels and merchant vessels.”

CENTCOM said that earlier in the day the Houthis had fired a missile toward the USS Carney, an American warship in the Gulf of Aden, but the Carney successfully shot down the missile and there were no injuries reported, according to the Times.

The Houthis, whose leaders have said they are doing this in retaliation toward Israel for its war against Hamas, the Iranian-backed terrorist organization in the Gaza Strip, have launched more than 30 attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden over the past several months.