The Iran-backed Houthi insurgency in Yemen has abducted another nine United Nations employees, raising the total number of U.N. personnel detained by the group over the past four years to 53. The Houthis, known for their hostility toward Western nations and Israel, have not explained the latest round of kidnappings or revealed where the employees are being held.
Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed responsibility Wednesday for a cruise missile attack that left a Dutch-flagged cargo ship ablaze and adrift in the Gulf of Aden. The strike, which seriously damaged the Minervagracht and injured two crew members, marked the most significant escalation in months by the group outside the Red Sea corridor.
The Iran-backed Houthi insurgents in Yemen have announced so-called “sanctions” against 13 major American oil companies, including ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and Marathon Petroleum. The announcement was made Tuesday through the group’s “Humanitarian Operations Coordination Center,” a front used by the militants to issue threats under the guise of diplomatic language.
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have escalated their missile attacks on Israel, launching three ballistic missiles in the past four days alone. While all missiles were intercepted by Israel’s defense systems, the increased tempo marks a notable escalation in the ongoing conflict.