Houthis’ tactical upgrade in Red Sea attacks and what it means

Yemeni rebels have attacked two ships in the strategic waters using armed boats, drones, rockets and missiles

A police trooper holds a machine gun mounted on a patrol vehicle at the site of a rally held by protesters in Sanaa. Reuters

In only 48 hours, Yemen’s Houthi rebels have pulled off two sophisticated attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea, combining armed boats, drones, rockets and missiles.

This marks a tactical shift from their earlier, simpler use of missiles and drones, stepping up into co-ordinated air-and-sea assaults meant to overwhelm basic defences on board the ships.

Here, The National looks at the attacks and what the tactical upgrade means:

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Magic Seas

Houthi fighters attacked the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Magic Seas using fast, small boats equipped with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons. At the same time, explosive-laden drone boats slammed into the hull.

Eternity C

A day later, the cargo vessel Eternity C was struck in nearly the same area of the Red Sea: armed skiffs unleashed bursts of gunfire, while explosive drones detonated around the deck. Missiles and small rockets were also used. Both ships sank.

Why it matters

• Previously, the Houthis relied on missiles, single-use drones or occasionally boat-launched rockets. Now, they have wired these elements into a multipronged “swarm” approach, with surface boats, aerial drones, missiles, and firearms all converging on a single target
• The simultaneous use of airborne and surface threats forces defenders to split focus, making interception more difficult
• Captain Marvin Scott of the USS Dwight D Eisenhower told Janes magazine that the Houthis have “evolved from basic drone surveillance to co-ordinated, multi-domain assaults”. He explained they started off with simple unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, one-way attacks, and then anti-ship ballistic cruise and land-attack missiles. "They try now to co-ordinate and attack using multidomain and multiaccess," he added
• There seem to be complaints of no naval backup in the area when the ships were attacked. In the absence of military assets in the Red Sea, private security guards stand between the Houthis and seafarers, said Joshua Hutchinson, managing director of intelligence and risk at maritime security firm Ambrey.

Wider context

This intensifying Houthi approach mirrors how Israel and others have engaged them.

Israel, for example, used about 20 aircraft to strike Houthi-controlled ports, power stations and even a captured ship after the Magic Seas attack, dropping more than 50 munitions in quick succession. According to a Yemeni source in Sanaa, these maritime strikes are not a deviation; they are part of a steady campaign aimed at Israel-linked ships.

Houthi supporters gather for a rally in solidarity with Iran and Palestinians, in Sanaa, Yemen's capital. AFP

The Houthis see themselves as part of an “Axis of Resistance” aligned with Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas, and they have vowed to continue pressing on with the fight, despite Israeli and US-UK strikes.

Their campaign resumed after a temporary pause. In May, President Donald Trump announced a truce and said the US would stop targeting Houthi positions after the group agreed to halt attacks. But the following month, after US strikes on Iran, the Houthis declared their intention to resume operations. The attack on the Magic Seas was their first major statement of return.

What it means for shipping

• The Red Sea corridor, which normally handles 12 per cent of global trade and connects Europe to Asia, is once again a conflict zone
• Dozens of major shipping companies have already diverted vessels, adding 10 to 14 days to journeys and up to $1 million in additional fuel per trip
• Early last year, when the number of similar Houthi attacks surged, container traffic through the Suez Canal dropped by more than 50 per cent. The resulting delays and rerouting contributed to rising global shipping costs, insurance premiums and commodity prices, from crude oil to wheat
• Naval coalitions, including the EU’s Operation Aspides and the US-led Prosperity Guardian, have stepped up patrols. But western officials acknowledge that defending against hybrid swarms is far more difficult than intercepting lone missiles.

In two days, the Houthis have shifted to a potent hybrid doctrine, pairing surface and air assaults in near-perfect synchronicity, experts say. They have adapted, elevating the dangers in the Red Sea and potentially forcing a recalibration of naval defence strategies.