Iran-backed Houthis threaten to 'sink' the US and allied warships that keep shooting their stuff out of the sky
US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Aaron Lau
- Houthi rebels threatened to "sink" the United States and its Western allies' warships.
- A top Houthi official warned, "The Red Sea will be your graveyard."
- US and allied warships have continued to thwart attacks by the Iran-backed militants in the Red Sea.
The Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen threatened on Tuesday to "sink" the United States and its Western allies' warships and vowed to turn the Red Sea into their "graveyard" as these naval forces continue to thwart attacks by the militants in the important waterway.
A top Houthi official warned: "We have capabilities to sink your fleet, your submarines, your warships," Iran International reported, citing the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim.
"The Red Sea will be your graveyard," the Houthi official was quoted as saying, according to the news outlet.
The official's reported remarks come after the Pentagon on Monday announced a new international mission to combat the drone and missile attacks by Houthi rebels that have been targeting commercial vessels in the Red Sea and disrupting global trade.
"The recent escalation in reckless Houthi attacks originating from Yemen threatens the free flow of commerce, endangers innocent mariners, and violates international law," US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement on Monday.
Austin called the Red Sea "a critical waterway that has been essential to freedom of navigation and a major commercial corridor that facilitates international trade." In response to the Houthi attacks, a number of companies have diverted their ship to other routes.
The new international effort to defeat the Houthi attacks, which is called Operation Prosperity Guardian, joins forces from the US, United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain, according to Austin.
"Countries that seek to uphold the foundational principle of freedom of navigation must come together to tackle the challenge posed by this non-state actor launching ballistic missiles and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) at merchant vessels from many nations lawfully transiting international waters," Austin said.
The defense secretary added that "this is an international challenge that demands collective action."
Over the past two months, the Iran-backed Houthi militants have launched a number of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships off the coast of Yemen, but the US, as well as its French and UK allies, have repeatedly shot down Houthi threats.
On Saturday alone, the US and UK naval forces successfully intercepted more than a dozen drones coming from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
Naval warfare experts previously told Business Insider the Houthis don't really pose much of a threat to highly advanced and well-defended American warships, which are well-equipped with surface-to-air missiles and other high-end defenses. The same can be said of allied vessels.
"If the opponent cannot jam or neutralize our information networks — which the Houthis cannot do — the threat is manageable whether they use missiles or drones," Sam Tangredi, a retired US Navy captain and surface warfare officer, told Business Insider.
The Houthi rebels have ramped up their attacks in the Red Sea since the October 7 start of the Israel-Hamas war.
The militia group has vowed to continue targeting any ships associated with or even sailing toward Israel in a show of support for Hamas, which is another Iran-backed militant group that is part of the so-called "axis of resistance."