Headline Roundup • December 31st, 2023
US Navy Sinks Three Houthi Vessels in Red Sea After Attack on Maersk Cargo Ship
Middle East,Israel,US Navy,Houthis,Yemen,Israel Hamas Violence,Iran,Water And Oceans,Foreign Affairs
Summary from the AllSides News Team
The US Navy sank three Houthi boats that aimed to hijack a Maersk cargo ship in the Red Sea on Sunday, killing their crews.
The Details: Four Houthi ships opened fire on the Singapore-flagged Maersk Hangzhao around 6:30 AM and came within 65 feet of boarding the ship, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM). Officials said the strike was in self-defense and that the fourth boat fled. CENTCOM said it was the second Houthi attack on the vessel to be thwarted in 24 hours.
For Context: The incident is the latest altercation with the Iran-backed Yemeni Houthis, who have declared war on Israel and disrupted trade in the Red Sea since November. The group, which the U.S. does not recognize as Yemen’s official government, was designated as a terrorist organization by former President Donald Trump during his final days in office and removed from the list by President Biden in early 2021.
Key Quotes: National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said, "We don't seek a conflict wider in the region and we're not looking for a conflict with the Houthis. The best outcome here would be for the Houthis to stop these attacks as we have made clear over and over again." A statement from CENTCOM said, “This is the 23rd illegal attack by the Houthis on international shipping since Nov. 19.”
How The Media Covered It: Sources across the spectrum covered the story similarly.
Featured Coverage of this Story
ABC News
U.S. Navy helicopters returned fire and and sank three small boats carrying Houthi militants in the Red Sea on Sunday, after U.S. warships responded to a distress call from a merchant vessel, military officials said.
A Maersk container ship, the Singapore-flagged Hangzhou, issued a distress call at about 6:30 a.m. local time, U.S. Central Command said in a statement on Sunday. The merchant vessel said four small boats were attacking it.
"The small boats, originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, fired crew-served and small-arms weapons at the Maersk Hangzhou, getting to within...
The United States sunk three small Houthi boats in the Red Sea early Sunday morning following another attack on a merchant ship as tensions continue to rise in the region.
U.S. Navy helicopters from the USS Eisenhower and the Gravely responded to a distress call issued by the container ship Maersk Hangzhao — the second distress call the ship issued in less than 24 hours due to “being under attack by four Iranian-backed Houthi small boats,” according to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). CENTCOM said that the boats, which originated from...
The US military shot down three boats operated by Iran-backed Houthi rebels – killing their crews – after the militants had attempted to attack a Maersk container vessel in Red Sea waters near Yemen early Sunday, officials said.
Helicopters from the USS Eisenhower and USS Gravely warships opened fire at “four Iranian-backed Houthi small boats” – sinking three of them – while responding to an SOS call from the Singapore-flagged vessel Maersk Hangzhou around 6:30 a.m. local time, according to the US Central Command (CENTCOM).
The fourth boat escaped the attack,...
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