In what is so far the largest drone attack in the Red Sea, on Jan. 9, at approximately 9:15 p.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthis launched a complex attack of Iranian designed one-way attack UAVs.
According to the latest post on X by the U.S. Central Command the attack also consisted of anti-ship cruise missiles, and an anti-ship ballistic missile fired from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen into the Southern Red Sea.
The attacks were aimed at international shipping lanes where dozens of merchant vessels were transiting.
Eighteen one-way-attack UAVs, two anti-ship cruise missiles, and one anti-ship ballistic missile were shot down by the combined effort of F/A-18s from three US navy vessels and one UK navy ship.
This is the 26th Houthi attack on commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea since Nov. 19 2023. However, there were no injuries or damage reported.
On Jan. 3, 14 countries, including the US, issued a joint statement stating, "The Houthis will bear the responsibility for the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, or the free flow of commerce in the region's critical waterways."