The crew left the ship after it was hit by a missile

An “Unmanned Underwater Ship” in the Red Sea as the Houthi Threat is Embedded in Syria’s War against the United States

The Iranian-backed rebels have been using a “unmanned underwater vessel” in the region since Oct. 23, officials said.

Commercial vessels passing through the Red Sea have been subject to attack by the rebels. The group’s leaders claim they’re targeting ships with links to Israel in response to the country’s ongoing invasion of Gaza. Many of the ships are not connected to Israel.

The country’s government was overthrown in 2014 by a powerful group of rebels backed by Iran, but they have since taken control of large parts of the country.

The U.S. said that more than 2,000 ships had had to divert to avoid transiting the Red Sea which could cause global shipping delays.

The U.S. Central Command said in a statement that it conducted five self- defense strikes against the UUV, an unguided surface vessel, and 3 anti-ship cruise missiles.

The U.S.-led coalition has repeatedly hit missiles and launchers in Yemen and intercepted drones and missiles, but so far it has failed to halt the attacks. There were five targets hit by the United States over the weekend.

The crew of a cargo ship in the Red Sea were forced to abandon ship after it came under attack from the militia in Yemen which have been firing missiles at ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, according to the group.

A Houthi military spokesman, Yahya Sarea, said in a statement on Monday that the militia had fired “a number of missiles” at the vessel, severely damaging it, bringing it to a “complete halt” and leaving it “at risk of sinking.” The New York Times could not verify the claims.

The crew of a ship that responded to a call was taken to a nearby port by the merchant vessel, Central Command said in a statement.

An employee who answered the phone at the Rubymar’s management office in Lebanon, GMZ Ship Management, confirmed that the attack had taken place and that the crew had abandoned ship, but said the company would not provide further information until the crew reaches a safe port.

The British government agency reported that the crew of the ship abandoned it when it came under attack about thirty nautical miles south of al-Mokha in Yemen. The agency did not reveal the ship’s identity.

Mr. Sarea said that the Houthis will take more military measures in order to defend their beloved Yemen and to show their support for the Palestinians.

Though most of the group’s attacks have caused limited damage, they have still upended global shipping. Yemen is on top of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which is a key shipping lane. Hundreds of ships are now avoiding the Suez Canal and sailing an extra 4,000 miles around Africa, burning fuel, inflating costs and adding about 10 days of travel in each direction.

On Monday, the European Union announced that it was launching its own operation to counter the threat posed by the Houthis, with plans to accompany vessels and protect them against attacks in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and nearby waterways.

The European Union has responded quickly to the need for maritime security and freedom of navigation, according to the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.