‏ US and allies issue statement regarding Houthi attacks

Yesterday, the diplomatic missions of Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States issued a joint statement reiterating their condemnation of the Houthi maritime attacks, particularly the deadly attack on the ship ‘True Confidence’ on March 6, which led to the death of three sailors.

The statement said that they “acknowledge the statement issued by the European External Action Service of March 7, and reiterate condemnation of the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, and are deeply concerned by the attack on the [True Confidence]”.

"The death of at least two Filipino and one Vietnamese sailors is the inevitable consequence of the Houthis' indiscriminate and reckless attacks on international merchant vessels," the statement added.

The statement expressed its condolences to the families of the victims, and thanked the Indian Navy for their rapid response to the situation and evacuating the rest of the crew of the targeted ship to Djibouti.

The statement also called on the Houthis to "immediately” cease the attacks, adding, "These illegal attacks have taken the lives of innocent sailors, and only serve to destabilize the region, and harm the people of Yemen".

On Tuesday, US Central Command posted on X that the Houthis had fired a close-range ballistic missile toward the USS Laboon in the Red Sea. The missile did not hit the ship and no injuries or damage were reported.

"The US Central Command and a coalition vessel successfully engaged and destroyed two unmanned aerial systems that were launched from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen," the post added.

On Monday, US Central Command said the Houthis fired two missiles at the Singapore-owned and Liberian-flagged merchant ship Pinocchio. According to the command center, the two missiles did not hit the ship and no injuries or damage were reported.

On the same day, US forces carried out six strikes that, according to Central Command, destroyed an underwater drone and 18 anti-ship missiles in Houthi-controlled areas.

Houthi-affiliated media reported on US-UK air strikes over the past 48 hours which targeted Hodeidah International Airport and other areas in the governorate, in addition to the city of Sanaa, which the Houthis claim as their capital.