Attacks in the Red Sea area – a vital channel for international trade – began in November and show no sign of stopping despite the US strikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
US ships and submarines have fired at Houthi positions in Yemen after another American-owned vessel was attacked near the Red Sea.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Fourteen missile sites were targeted at around 11.59pm local time on Wednesday, said US Central Command.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It said they were an “imminent threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships” as they were on launch rails and ready to be fired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s the fourth day of US strikes in under a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n UK forces were not involved, said the Ministry of Defence, despite Britain participating last week<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n America said the latest Houthi attack happened at 8.30pm on Wednesday when a bomb-carrying drone targeted a US-owned ship in the Gulf of Aden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Houthi spokesman Brigadier Yahya Saree claimed the M\/V Genco Picardy was hit “precise and direct”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The captain of the vessel said a fire had been extinguished and the ship and crew were safe, the Royal Navy’s Maritime Trade Operations reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Iran<\/strong><\/a>-backed Houthi fighters originally said they were attacking ships linked to Israel<\/strong><\/a> in an attempt to end the bombardment of Gaza<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, its attacks appear to have widened and a US-led coalition has been patrolling the Red Sea as a deterrent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Many ships are avoiding the area and sailing a much longer route around southern Africa which threatens to make some goods more expensive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The latest attack comes as the US put the Houthis – who control large parts of Yemen – back on its list of designated global terrorists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The move triggers sanctions designed to cut off such groups from their sources of funding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Attacks in the Red Sea area – a vital channel for international trade – began in November and show no sign of stopping despite the US strikes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some ships have been targeted with drones and rockets, while in some cases helicopters have been used to drop militants on board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over the weekend, a cruise missile fired at a US Navy destroyer was shot down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another US-owned ship was hit on Monday and a Malta-flagged cargo vessel the day after – with the latter prompting another American strike on missile sites in Yemen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n