00:00 Houthis commit the most unexpected act US naval ship targeted by IAEA's men.
00:10 Will Biden respond to Houthis' challenge?
00:16 The Houthi rebels claimed on Wednesday that they targeted a US Navy destroyer and a commercial
00:21 ship in the Red Sea.
00:22 However, the attack on the warship reportedly occurred nearly two days earlier and was intercepted
00:28 by the vessel.
00:30 This latest statement from the Houthis come amid a slowdown in their attack on shipping,
00:34 which have disrupted trade through a crucial corridor leading to the Seuss Canal and the
00:39 Mediterranean Sea.
00:42 While the rebels have acknowledged the decrease in attack, the US military has suggested that
00:47 its airstrikes and interceptions on the Houthi fire have disrupted their assault and depleted
00:52 their weapons stockpiles.
00:54 However, in a recent statement, the Houthi military spokesman, Brigadier General Yahya
00:59 Sari, stated that the rebels targeted the USS Mason with missiles and launched an attack
01:05 on a ship he identified as the Destiny.
01:07 However, the multiple vessels bear the name in shipping registries.
01:12 The USS Mason, a top-class guided missile destroyer, has been deployed in the Red Sea
01:17 and the broader region as part of the US-led coalition aimed to prevent the Houthi attacks
01:21 on the shipping.
01:23 According to the US military's Central Command, also known as CENTCOM, on Monday night, the
01:28 Mason successfully engaged and destroyed an inbound anti-ship ballistic missile launched
01:33 by the Iranian-backed Houthis from Yemen over the Red Sea.
01:38 As for the claimed attack on the Destiny, the US Navy's Mideast-based 5th Fleet did
01:42 not immediately respond to the request for comment.
01:46 This development comes days after Abdul Malik Al Houthi, the leader of the Houthis in Yemen,
01:50 declared that his group will now attack any ship that was involved in delivering or shipping
01:55 products to Israel, regardless where they were going.
01:59 In response to the Israeli aggression on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, he claimed that
02:04 this was the fourth stage of escalation.
02:07 He continued, "As of now, we are also considering the fifth and sixth stages, and we also have
02:12 some very significant, delicate and powerful decisions to make regarding the adversaries."
02:19 The Houthis claim that their attack on the shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden
02:22 are aimed at pressuring Israel to end the war against Hamas in Gaza.
02:26 The war has resulted in a significant number of casualties among Palestinians, according
02:30 to local health officials.
02:33 The Houthis have launched over 50 attacks on shipping lanes since November, according
02:37 to the US Maritime Administration, leading to a decline in shipping activity in the Red
02:41 Sea and the Gulf of Aden due to the perceived threat.
02:45 However, this particular attack on US Navy ships will likely trigger the United States,
02:50 as this was the first such direct attack on a naval ship of America.
02:56 As long as the war lasts, the Houthis insist that they will keep attacking ships that pass
03:00 through this vital canal that leads to the Suez Canal and then to the Mediterranean Sea.
03:13 [MUSIC PLAYING]
Comments