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.