September Net
Military experts and strategic analysts continue to sound the alarm about the imperative of adopting a radical shift in strategy to counter the growing threat posed by the Houthi terrorist militia. They emphasize that supporting Yemen’s internationally recognized government forces to regain territorial control is paramount. This assessment follows conclusive evidence that airstrikes alone are insufficient to eradicate the militia’s persistent threat to international maritime security and global trade.
Amid ongoing Gaza ceasefire negotiations, the Houthi militia’s escalation against global shipping has disrupted the process, reigniting tensions. This underscores that the conflict is no longer confined to land but has expanded to the sea. Consequently, Yemen’s coastline has transformed into an active combat arena, a situation now influenced by complex regional power balances beyond local Yemeni dynamics.
While 20 Israeli fighter jets carried out a large-scale attack on vital targets in Hodeidah, firing 56 missiles and shells at ports and power stations, the Houthi militia simultaneously launched assaults on multiple vessels in the Red Sea. The most notable was the *Magic Seas*, struck by a missile off Hodeidah’s coast in a fresh escalation threatening regional maritime security.
According to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the assault occurred 51 nautical miles southwest of Hodeidah, involving armed attackers in small boats firing rocket-propelled grenades and small arms. This caused a hull breach and flooding that forced the crew to abandon ship.
Maritime security firm Ambrey confirmed that two sea-drones struck the Greek-owned, Liberian-flagged cargo ship, while two additional drones were intercepted. The vessel met the Houthis’ publicly declared criteria for legitimate targets.
**Advanced Tactics and Iranian Backing**
The attack highlights the increasing danger to commercial shipping in this strategic zone and reflects the Houthi militia’s continued use of sophisticated weaponry amid an Iran-linked regional escalation.
Earlier, UKMTO warned commercial ships against approaching Houthi-controlled ports due to high security risks. In a statement, it alerted vessels bound for Ras Issa, Salif, and Hodeidah ports that new strikes could hit targets in these areas, potentially causing severe collateral damage to nearby ships.
Despite describing a decline in reported threat levels in the Gulf, the agency urged all ships to exercise extreme caution near these ports, which have faced repeated attacks.
Threatening Global Trade
The Yemeni government has issued a formal condemnation of these ongoing terrorist attacks by the Houthi terrorist militia against commercial shipping in the Red Sea and adjacent waterways. In an official statement, the government asserted these actions are conducted “on behalf of the Iranian regime and its destructive project in the region.”
The statement further declared: “These criminal attacks pose a grave threat to maritime security and risk triggering catastrophic environmental disasters.” It called upon “the international community, particularly the UN Security Council and the United Nations, to take firm and decisive action against this hostile behavior.”
The government underscored that the success of any initiative to end the Houthi threat hinges critically on “supporting the internationally recognized government, a UN member, and its armed forces in restoring state institutions and enabling them to extend sovereignty over the entire national territory.” It held the Houthi militias and the Iranian regime “fully responsible for the economic, environmental, and humanitarian consequences of this terrorist escalation,” including deepening suffering, obstructing humanitarian aid, disrupting essential goods flows, militarizing regional waters, and exposing Yemen to further infrastructural ruin.
The statement reiterated: “Ending the Houthi terrorist threat requires supporting the UN-recognized government and its armed forces to restore state institutions and assert sovereignty across Yemen’s entire territory.”
Militia Repositioning and Escalation Risks
Military sources indicate heightened risks of escalation, anticipating potential renewed U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Yemen’s already devastated civilian infrastructure, ostensibly in retaliation for Houthi militia attacks. Concurrently, sources revealed that the Houthi militia is actively repositioning, deploying missiles and drones near the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait and Gulf of Aden.
Relocating Launchpads and Weapons
Significantly, following prior U.S. airstrikes, the Houthi militia relocated workshops from Sana’a and Hodeidah to new sites in Dahmar, Ibb, and Taiz. Missiles and launchpads were moved to Alhusha district in western Al-Dhale and Alwa’al mountain in eastern Taiz, the origin point of a missile intercepted within Yemeni airspace last Saturday. Sources detailed the refurbishment of a former military site at Alwa’al mountain, including the excavation of a 1km tunnel for storing weaponry. Launchpads were also shifted to the Maitam area in southern Ibb.
An analysis by OilPrice Website underscores this shift, noting strategic attention is moving south towards the Red Sea and Horn of Africa, where “perilous new strategic equations are taking shape.” While acknowledging a decrease in Houthi attack tempo since May, the analysis warns this likely reflects a new tactic, confirming the militia “continues to represent a genuine threat to vital shipping lanes.”
Threatening the World
Commenting on the militia’s resilience, military analyst Brig. Gen. Yasser Saleh stated: “US operations degraded some Houthi capabilities, but not fully.” He elaborated: “Threatening the Bab al-Mandab Strait requires only drones, missiles, and remote-controlled boats, capabilities the militia possesses or can obtain via the market or smuggling from the Horn of Africa.” He emphasized the ease of replacing damaged assets due to local manufacturing, barring key imported components like guidance systems.
Pre-planned Maneuver
Regarding the *Magic Seas* attack, Brig. Gen. Saleh noted a tactical evolution: “The attack differed slightly from previous ones, involving two simultaneous attacks instead of one.” The first occurred after the ship entered the Red Sea north of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and the second south of Hodeidah.
Speaking to Al Arabiya’s Alhadath Channel, he stated that this “dual attack mirrors a maneuver coordinated between the Houthi militia and factions in the Horn of Africa. ‘Boats attacked from both the Horn of Africa and the Yemeni side to intercept or assault ships,'” he explained.
A significant consequence of the Israeli war, he added, is “Iran exporting surplus naval capability to the Houthis, as Tehran alone cannot threaten the Strait of Hormuz due to international interests. Escalation in this direction will rely on the Houthis, its sole viable proxy for threatening international straits.”
Smuggling Leaders
Brig. Gen. Saleh confirmed the attack boats were “IRGC-supplied remote-controlled boats recently delivered to the militia.” He further disclosed: “Iran has been working to relocate military leaders, whom it failed to protect, to Yemeni territory.” Similarly, blocked Iranian economic funds in Lebanon are now reportedly “being handled through projects based in the Horn of Africa before being transferred to the Houthi group.”
Threatening to Attack
Bilegh Almekhlafi, Cultural Advisor at the Yemeni embassy in Cairo, contextualized the attack within recent Houthi declarations, specifically referencing Abdulmalik Al-Houthi’s Ashura speech which affirmed the group’s “continued targeting of navigation lanes and Israeli vessels, despite prior U.S.-brokered understandings and claims of surrender.”
Almekhlafi stated that the militia now declared it “will target Israeli ships and Israel itself,” asserting that “any agreements or mediation, whether from Oman or others, excludes Israel, including missile strikes or attacks on affiliated vessels.”
He confirmed the attack on the Magic Seas occurred “shortly after the militia leader’s speech, deep within international waters approximately 51 nautical miles south of Hodeidah.” Almekhlafi interpreted these actions as an attempt “to assert their presence and signal that they remain capable of targeting international shipping lanes and interests,” constituting “a threat not only to Yemenis but also to the region and the entire international community.”
Solution is supporting Army
Almekhlafi said since international airstrikes began, analysts have stressed the necessity of a parallel ground offensive by Yemeni government forces to decisively end the threat. “A golden opportunity was lost,” he stated. “The legitimate government consistently emphasizes that the real solution lies in supporting the political leadership and the army in a ground military operation. Airstrikes alone are ineffective unless accompanied by ground combat.”
He concluded: “Today, the international and regional community is beginning to seriously consider this option, especially with the escalation of threats, weapons smuggling, and reports of chemical weapons proliferation. All these challenges require close coordination with the legitimate government to impose control over the Yemeni coasts, which have become a threat to international security and peace.”