Adding to the growing panic for seafarers transiting the Middle East, the Houthis have claimed this week to have launched a homemade long-range hypersonic missile called the Hadim-2. This solid-fuel missile (pictured) was reportedly used to target a Liberian-flagged ship, the MSC Sarah V, in the Arabian Sea.
The authenticity remains unverified, and questions persist about whether it truly qualifies as homemade. The Houthis have been known to receive weapons from Iran. The missile’s design appears similar to Iranian-made munitions like the Fattah-1, which can travel at speeds of up to Mach 3.
The Houthis have upped their campaign against merchant shipping over the past fortnight, both in terms of the number of attacks as well as in their sophistication – targeting vessels by air and sea simultaneously with a ship sinking, others badly damaged and another seafarer dying.
Reports of another ship strike 84 nautical miles west of Hodeidah are emerging today with Splash estimates suggesting nearly 120 merchant vessels have been targeted by the Houthis in their seven-month campaign, which they say is in solidarity with Hamas’s ongoing war with Israel.
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and seafarers’ unions globally earlier this week called on governments to step up and coordinate their efforts to protect seafarers sailing in or through the area. The ITF also demanded shipping companies demonstrate their commitment to their seafarers by diverting their ships and flag states were asked to instruct companies to divert their ships.
Many shipping analysts in recent weeks – including from Jefferies, Cleaves and Bank of America – have predicted the ongoing Red Sea shipping crisis will continue into the first half of next year.
Don’t give them the oxygen of publicity. This will only stop when they have been on the receiving end of a major military intervention against them on a sustained basis.
ROFL. Get a grip. Publicity? Please. Give us a break.
This will only stop when Israel backs off.
Israel is just peachy. The Houthis are a non state actor occupying a sovereign country. At this point they are one direct hit away from getting Yemen utterly steamrolled.
The best way to stop this is end the mass murder in Gaza,
Let’s do things the easy and most obvious way please!
You believe so, seriously ? Somali pirates could not be forcefully by the Western boats. Hisbollah are pretty much doing what wish. It is clear that no force on earth can stop Yemeni forces in support of Palestanians ressisting European occupation force committing genocide in Palestine.
Meanwhile – where Seafarers lives at severe risk – silence from the United Nations !
Methinks yoU need to fact check. In addition you seem unaware the IMO is UN.
“questions persist about whether it truly qualifies as homemade.” The understatement of the year.
This could only trace back to Russian supplied hypersonic as the Houthis – and Iran – have no R & D group, nor the resources to accomplish the claim. It is hyper BS.
Indeed, not the actual missile but the technology.
Based. Also “Houthi” is derogatory. They are called “Ansar Allah” and they are doing God’s work.
Indeed,
A real shame the other Arab nations aren’t lifting a finger to help the poor children of Gaza.
While the sea tranaportation is the key element in supply chain, the attack on this industry should be reciprocated through collective agreement by stakehilders for not allowing any shipment / trade with Yamen unil they set their home straight. It’s only the internal forces that the weeken Hamas
Why are you not helping Israel to occupy whole Arab world? Then there will be no opponent to fight for anything.
You believe so, seriously ? Somali pirates could not be forcefully by the Western boats. Hisbollah are pretty much doing what wish. It is clear that no force on earth can stop Yemeni forces in support of Palestanians ressisting European occupation force committing genocide in Palestine.