United States: The US has accused Iran of being “deeply involved” in Houthi rebel attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea.
The White House said that Tehran is providing tactical intelligence as well as weapons to the Yemeni rebel group. The intelligence was recently declassified and appeared to demonstrate Iranian involvement in the attacks.
“We know that Iran was deeply involved in planning the operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea. This is consistent with Iran’s long-term material support and encouragement of the Houthis’ destabilising actions in the region. This is an international challenge that demands collective action,” White House national security spokeswoman, Ms. Adrienne Watson, said in a statement.
The KAS-04 drones from Iran and the unmanned vehicles used by the Houthis had almost identical features, according to visual analysis released by the White House. Iranian and Houthi missiles also shared identical features.
The Houthis, who rule over a large portion of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, have attacked commercial ships in the Red Sea with dozens of drone and missile strikes, which they have justified as a show of solidarity with the Palestinians who are being bombarded by Israel in Gaza.
Deliveries of food, energy, and consumer goods are now more expensive and take longer as a result of the attacks, which have essentially redirected a significant amount of international trade by requiring freight companies to sail around Africa.
The attacks have forced more than a dozen shipping companies to halt transit through the Red Sea, including the massive Italian-Swiss Mediterranean Shipping Company, France’s CMA CGM, and Denmark’s AP Moller-Maersk.
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