Dramatic moment Houthi missile strikes merchant ship in Red Sea – as US and Britain explore ways to step up military campaign against the militants

This is the dramatic moment a Houthi missile collides with a merchant ship in the Red Sea.

An explosion at the bow of the Malta-flagged, Greek-owned bulk carrier MT Zografia was captured on the onboard camera on Tuesday.

The UK and US are exploring ways to step up their campaign against Houthi militants in Yemen without sparking a wider war, with a focus on targeting Iranian supplies and launching more vicious pre-emptive strikes, people familiar with the matter say are on the case. .

The proposals could mark an escalation of allied efforts to end the chaos in the Red Sea, which handled about 12 percent of global trade before the Houthis began attacking commercial ships in response to Israel's attacks in the Gaza Strip.

The Houthi attacks have raised insurance costs and raised fears of additional inflationary pressures as ships take a longer and more expensive route around the southern tip of Africa.

Footage captured by the onboard camera shows a huge explosion at the bow of the boat

Defense Secretary Grant Shapps wrote today on

“In doing so, we have dashed the hopes of tyrants like Putin, who naively believed that we could be distracted by multiple crises. Britain can and will act where necessary.”

U.S. Central Command today attacked a Houthi anti-ship missile aimed at the Gulf of Aden and ready to launch, the U.S. military said. The latest round of attacks came hours after the United States hit three other Houthi anti-ship missiles. .

“U.S. forces determined that the missile posed a threat to merchant and U.S. Navy vessels in the region and subsequently struck and destroyed the missile in self-defense,” U.S. Central Command said in a statement on X.

The incident, the latest amid rising tensions in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden that have disrupted global trade and raised fears of supply bottlenecks, occurred around 4 a.m. Yemen time (1 a.m. GMT ), US Central Command added.

Hours earlier, late Friday, U.S. Central Command forces carried out strikes on three Houthi anti-ship missiles that they said were aimed at the southern Red Sea.

The explosion rips across the front of the ship. Britain and the US are exploring ways to step up their campaign against Houthi militants in Yemen without sparking a wider war

Defense Secretary Grant Shapps wrote today on

“US forces identified the missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined that they posed an immediate threat to merchant and US Navy vessels in the region. U.S. forces then attacked and destroyed the missiles in self-defense,” U.S. Central Command said in the post on X.

The incident occurred around 6:45 p.m. Yemen time (1545 GMT), the US Central Command added.

Attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthi militia on ships in and around the Red Sea in recent weeks have slowed trade between Asia and Europe and alerted major powers to an escalation of the war in Gaza.

The Houthis, who control most of Yemen, say their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians under attack by Israel in Gaza.

Houthi fighters brandish their weapons during a protest after attacks by US and British forces, on January 12, 2024

This photo from the Indian Navy shows the US ship Genco Picardy which was attacked on Wednesday by a drone carrying bombs launched by the Houthi rebels in Yemen in the Gulf of Aden, January 18, 2024

Houthi supporters attend a protest against the US-led airstrikes on January 12, 2024 in Sanaa, Yemen

Sailors of the United States Navy (file photo). US forces launched new attacks on Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on Thursday

A Houthi fighter is pictured aboard a cargo ship in the Red Sea

Since last week, the United States has been launching attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen, and this week it added the militia to a list of “terrorist” groups.

President Joe Biden said Thursday that the airstrikes would continue, even as he acknowledged they may not stop Houthi attacks.

Saturday's strikes were the fifth in the past week by the US against Houthi missile launchers prepared to carry out attacks.

The Houthis launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles at a US tanker ship late on Thursday, hitting the water near the ship but causing no injuries or damage, according to the US military.

The confrontation risks spreading the conflict beyond Hamas-ruled Gaza, where more than 24,000 people — or more than 1 percent of Gaza's 2.3 million residents — have been killed in the Israeli attack, according to the local health ministry.

Israel launched its offensive following the October 7 attacks on Israel by the Palestinian Islamist group, which Israeli officials said killed 1,200 people.