Ten Iran-backed Houthi militants were killed after the US sunk their boats during an attempted attack by the militants against a container ship in the southern Red Sea, the militant group announced on Sunday evening.
On Sunday morning, the Maersk Hangzhou container ship issued a distress call after being attacked by four Houthi small boats, as the Houthis fired on the vessel and attempted to board it, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM). The security team on the vessel returned fire.
When the US helicopters from the USS Eisenhower and USS Gravely arrived at the scene, the Houthis fired at them as well. The helicopters returned fire, sinking three of the four boats and killing their crews. The fourth boat fled the area.
Houthis warn 'the US bears the consequences of' the deaths of militants
Yahya Sare'e, the military spokesperson for the Houthis, warned that "the American enemy bears the consequences of this crime and its repercussions, and that its military movements in the Red Sea to protect Israeli ships will not prevent Yemen from performing its religious, moral, and humanitarian duty in support of the oppressed in Palestine and Gaza."
Sare'e added as well that the Houthis attacked the Maersk Hangzhou with naval missiles. The Houthi spokesperson warned that the militia would not "hesitate to confront any aggression against our country and our people."
Abdul Salam Jahaf, a senior member of the Houthis, warned in a post on X that "the American aggression is a declaration of war" and "it cannot pass without a response," adding that "the coming hours are full of surprises.
After the attack, Maersk announced that it was suspending the transit of its vessels through the Red Sea for 48 hours, according to Reuters.
UK, US planning airstrikes against Houthis
As the Houthis escalate their attacks in the Red Sea, the British military is preparing to launch a wave of airstrikes against the Iran-backed militia alongside the US, The Sunday Times reported on Sunday.
According to the report, the UK and US are expected to issue an "unprecedented statement" on Sunday evening to warn the Houthis to stop their attacks.
Earlier on Sunday, UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps warned that "Those terrorists who are disrupting trade in the Red Sea are drinking in the last chance saloon," in statements to the Sun.
"We cannot allow one of the world’s key waterways that serves global trade to be held for ransom," added Shapps. "Attacks on commercial shipping with drones and missiles is an attack on all of us and the culture and freedoms we cherish. If the Houthis continue to threaten lives and trade, we will be forced to take the necessary and appropriate action.”
A British government source told The Sunday Times that this statement was a "last warning" and that if the Houthi attacks continued, the response would likely be "limited but significant."
On Saturday, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Shapps about the Houthi attacks, noting that "these attacks constitute a significant international problem that demands collective action," according to a readout of the discussion.
The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier strike group will leave the eastern Mediterranean Sea in the "coming days" to return to the home port of Norfolk, Virginia, after arriving in the Middle East in recent months to deter an escalation in the region, two US officials told ABC News on Sunday.
Second attack on the same vessel within a matter of hours
The attack on Sunday was the second to target the Maersk Hangzhou within a matter of hours. On Saturday evening, the vessel was struck by a missile in the southern Red Sea and issued a distress call. While the USS Gravely and USS Laboon were responding, the Gravely shot down two anti-ship ballistic missiles fired from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.
The Houthis have conducted 24 attacks against international shipping since November 19, according to CENTCOM.