The US Navy's Middle East commander said on Monday that Iran was “directly involved” in attacks on shipping ships in the Red Sea carried out by Yemen's Houthi terrorists in support of Hamas.
Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of the Navy's 5th Fleet, accused the Iranian government of doing everything in its power to support Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, saying the Houthis were attacking U.S. transport ships and destroyers. He accused them of targeting ships as well.
“What I'm saying is that Iran is clearly funding it, providing resources, providing supplies, providing training,” Cooper told The Associated Press. “They're obviously very directly involved. There's no secret there.”
Mr. Cooper noted that while the Houthis have expanded into the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, the Iran-backed terrorist organization previously confined its operations to the Persian Gulf.
The attack on an “Israel-linked” transport ship in the Red Sea has destabilized a vital shipping route that carries about 15% of global trade between Asia and Europe.
Danish shipping giant Maersk on Monday diverted one of its carriers from the area, opting instead for a long-haul route around the Cape of Good Hope, the company said in a statement.
Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, transport costs have increased by more than 600% due to terrorist attacks targeting ships crossing the Red Sea.
“Clearly, the Houthi action is probably the most significant we've seen in two generations in terms of attacks on commercial shipping,” Cooper said.
“The fact is simply that they are attacking the international community. So I think you all saw the international reaction,” he added, referring to last week's US-led missile attack on the Houthis. Ta.
Cooper's admission of Iran's role in the Red Sea attack came after Iranian intelligence sources claimed that military leaders, along with Hezbollah officials, were supporting the Houthis on the ground in Yemen.
Sources said Iran is suspected of shipping advanced drones equipped with anti-ship cruise missiles, precision-attack ballistic missiles and intermediate-range missiles.
The United States seized one such cargo during a raid in the Red Sea on January 11, and “ballistic and cruise missile parts” were found, the official said, adding that air defense parts were also found.
Members of both Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Hezbollah have been seen training Houthi terrorists in Yemen and helping them assemble missile components smuggled into the country, according to former Yemeni military officials.
The United States has launched at least six airstrikes against Houthi-linked facilities in Yemen since last week, and the Biden administration has made a U-turn in 2021 by redesignating the group as a terrorist organization.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdullahian He suggested last week that attacks in the Red Sea would only stop if the war in Gaza ended.
with post wire
