Royal Navy: Houthis falsely claim to attack and sink HMS Diamond in Red Sea as other ships hit by missiles

As reported by Reuters, the rebel group put out a statement on Saturday claiming to have fired ballistic missiles at the Portsmouth-based Type 45 destroyer. Houthi military spokesman Brig Gen Yahya Saree claimed the attack on a warship, without providing any evidence to support the claim. Missile attacks by the Iranian-backed insurgency in Yemen have been raging since December 2023.

The Houthis described the assault as “accurate”, Reuters said, but did not specify how much damage was caused to the ship. A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson told the international press agency: “These claims are untrue.”

The United States military’s Central Command said two ships were struck by missiles in the Gulf of Aden. They added that one anti-ship ballistic cruise missile hit the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged cargo ship Norderney forward station late on Saturday - starting a fire on board which had to be put out.

Norderney was also hit by a second anti-ship cruise missile. The British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations centre similarly reported the attack and fire in the same area off Aden. Brig Gen Saree claimed the attack in a pre-recorded video message on Sunday, stating the ship was targeted by missiles and drones.

Tavvishi, a Liberian-flagged, Swiss-owned-and-operated container ship, was also targeted by the militants. Brig Gen Saree claimed the attack happened in the Arabian Sea, but provided no evidence. Tracking data suggested the Tavvishi was in the Gulf of Aden at the time of the attack.

US Central Command said over the weekend: “Tavvishi reported damage but has continued under way.” It added that a second ballistic missile fired by the Houthis at the ship was intercepted by a coalition warship. The Houthis have exaggerated some of their attacks since launching their campaign.

The group, which Yemen’s capital nearly a decade ago and have been fighting a Saudi-led coalition since shortly after, have been targeting shipping throughout the Red Sea corridor over the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip. They say the attacks are aimed at stopping the war and supporting the Palestinians, though the attacks often target vessels that have nothing to do with the conflict.

The war in Gaza has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians, while hundreds of others have been killed in Israeli operations in the West Bank. It after Hamas-led militants attacked Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostage. The Houthis have launched more than 50 attacks on shipping, killed three sailors, seized one vessel and sunk another since November, according to the US Maritime Administration.

A US-led air strike campaign has targeted the Houthis since January, with a series of strikes May 30 killing at least 16 people and wounding 42 others, the rebels say. But while gaining more attention internationally, the secretive group has cracked down at dissent at home. Yemeni employees of United Nations agencies, 11 in total, and others working for aid groups have been detained by the Houthis under unclear circumstances, as the rebels face increasing financial pressure and air strikes from the US-led coalition. The rebels also recently sentenced 44 people to death.