The Houthis launched an unmanned boat packed with explosives from Yemen towards international shipping lanes in the Red Sea but it exploded before striking any vessels, a US Navy official said on Thursday.
The “one-way attack” boat was headed for shipping lanes “clearly with the intent to do harm”, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of US Navy operations in the Middle East, told reporters.
He described the explosive boat as a “new capability” and said it was the first time the Houthis had used an unmanned surface vessel, or USV, since their harassment of commercial ships in the Red Sea began after the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war, though they have used them in previous years.
The boat came within a “couple a of miles of ships”, including merchant vessels and US Navy ships.
“We all watched as it exploded” on Thursday morning, Vice Admiral Cooper said.
The incident came only hours after the US, UK, Bahrain and other nations on Wednesday demanded that Houthi rebels in Yemen halt their attacks in the Red Sea and warned of “consequences” if they continued their “destabilising” actions.
He said there have been 25 Houthi attacks since November 18 on merchant vessels transiting the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The Pentagon last month formed Operation Prosperity Guardian, a new international mission focused on countering attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
Vice Admiral Cooper said 1,500 commercial ships have been able to transit safely since the operation was launched on December 18.
Still, he noted that there has been no let up in attacks from Houthis.
“There are no signs [the Houthis'] irresponsible behaviour is abating,” he said.
American and British intelligence experts are gathering detailed targeting information for a potential strike on Houthi missile sites, military analysts have told The National.
Vice Admiral Cooper’s briefing was the first detailed public account by a US military official on the operation that is intended to protect shipping in the Red Sea, which normally handles about 12 per cent of the world’s commerce.
A number of major shipping operators have said they are taking a lengthier and costlier route around the southern tip of Africa to avoid the Houthi threat.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
Scoreline
Man Utd 2 Pogba 27', Martial 49'
Everton 1 Sigurdsson 77'
MATCH INFO
Manchester United 6 (McTominay 2', 3'; Fernandes 20', 70' pen; Lindelof 37'; James 65')
Leeds United 2 (Cooper 41'; Dallas 73')
Man of the match: Scott McTominay (Manchester United)
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
Cinco in numbers
Dh3.7 million
The estimated cost of Victoria Swarovski’s gem-encrusted Michael Cinco wedding gown
46
The number, in kilograms, that Swarovski’s wedding gown weighed.
1,000
The hours it took to create Cinco’s vermillion petal gown, as seen in his atelier [note, is the one he’s playing with in the corner of a room]
50
How many looks Cinco has created in a new collection to celebrate Ballet Philippines’ 50th birthday
3,000
The hours needed to create the butterfly gown worn by Aishwarya Rai to the 2018 Cannes Film Festival.
1.1 million
The number of followers that Michael Cinco’s Instagram account has garnered.
