Yemen's Houthi Rebels are an Iranian-backed military force that is highly opposed to Israel and NATO. In the hotspot region - the Red Sea, Houthi militants have been intercepting western commercial ships, disrupting global trade.
The deployment of a multinational naval force in December did not put an end to the attacks. Since the start of Israel's confrontation with Hamas in Gaza, the Houthis, who control a large chunk of Yemen, have carried out many strikes against ships they think are "linked to Israel," in solidarity with the Palestinians. According to the Pentagon, they have launched over a hundred drone and missile attacks against ten cargo ships.
As a result of the capture of the Galaxy Leader and its 25 crew marine transport firms have suspended operations in the Red Sea, a vital waterway that handles 15% of world trade.
But in the fight that broke out on Sunday morning, the Navy forces had little choice, at least according to the account given by United States Central Command.
American Battleship Convey in the Red Sea
The Houthis had launched an attack on the freighter, the Maersk Hangzhou, a Singapore-flagged container ship, and were attempting to board it. As the ship’s security forces tried to hold the attackers at bay, helicopters from the U.S.S. Eisenhower carrier group arrived to chase them away and the Houthis opened fire on them.
The Houthis had started an attack and attempted to board the Maersk Hangzhou, a Singaporean container ship. As the ship's security troops attempted to repel the attacks, helicopters from the USS Eisenhower carrier group arrived to drive them away, and the Houthis opened fire.
This direct encounter, which was not commanded by the US Navy, drew widespread worldwide attention and raises the prospect of a bigger conflict in the Middle East centered on the Yemeni area.