Houthis fire missiles at cargo ship bound for Iran, their patron

The Houthi militants in Yemen are backed by Iran, but on Monday they fired missiles at a cargo ship in the Red Sea that was carrying corn to an Iranian port, according to US Central Command.

Two missiles were fired at the MV Star Iris, registered in the Marshall Islands, Centcom said in a post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “The ship reports being seaworthy with minor damage and no injuries to the crew.”

“Of note,” Centcom added, “the MV Star Iris’s destination is Bandar Iman Khomeini, Iran.”

The Houthis started their assaults on commercial shipping in mid-November and say they’re targeting ships linked to Israel and its allies to pressure them over the war in Gaza. Many shipping companies have been rerouting vessels around the southern tip of Africa, a lengthier and costlier journey.

The attacks have continued despite several airstrikes by the US and the UK. The US has said that while it doesn’t expect to deter the Houthis, the strikes — on targets including airports, radar stations and weapons caches — are degrading their military capabilities. 

The Houthis, along with Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and other groups in Iraq and Syria, are part of Tehran’s so-called axis of resistance.