Iran denies US claims of “deep involvement” in Houthi attacks in Red Sea

Tehran has responded to US accusations that it is supplying weapons and tactical intelligence to a Yemeni rebel group.

Published on 12/23/2023

Al Jazeera – Tehran has denied U.S. claims of “deep involvement” in attacks by Houthi rebels on merchant ships in the Red Sea, amid reports that another Israeli merchant ship had been hit.

Iran's deputy foreign minister rejected the allegations on Saturday, saying the Houthis were acting on their own.

The Houthis, who control much of Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, have launched more than 100 drone and missile strikes targeting 10 merchant ships in the Red Sea, the Pentagon said. The group described the attacks as a show of support for Palestinians facing Israeli bombardment of Gaza.

The White House said Friday that Tehran's support for the Yemeni rebel group includes weapons and tactical intelligence.

“Resistance [Houthis] It has its own tools and acts according to its own decisions and capabilities,” Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Bagheri told the Mehr news agency.

“The fact that some powers like the Americans and Israelis are under attack by the resistance movement should not in any way question the reality of the strength of the resistance in the region,” he added.

Tehran says it supports the Houthis politically, but denies sending arms to the group.

The Iranian statements came after White House national security spokesman Adrian Watson on Friday called the situation in the Red Sea “an international challenge that demands collective action.”

“We know that Iran is deeply involved in planning operations against merchant shipping in the Red Sea,” Watson said in a statement.

“This is Iran's long-standing material support and encouragement of the Houthis' destabilizing activities in the region.”

The White House said visual analysis showed almost identical characteristics between Iran's KAS-04 drones and unmanned vehicles used by the Houthis, as well as consistent characteristics between Iranian and Houthi missiles.

Al Jazeera could not independently verify the White House's claims.

Al Jazeera correspondent Resul Serdar, reporting from Djibouti, said the Houthis had “proved very effective” their own intelligence facilities over the years.

“However, US officials insist that the Houthis do not have radars and rely on technology provided by Iran. Otherwise, these missiles launched by the Houthis would fall into the water,” Serdar added.

Marine Corps

On Saturday, a Liberian-flagged chemical tanker became the latest ship to be attacked, although no group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

British maritime security firm Ambre and UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said the ship was hit by an unmanned aerial vehicle 200 km (120 miles) southwest of Veraval, India.

“Some structural damage has also been reported and some water has been taken on board. The ship joined Israel. She last called at Saudi Arabia and was summoned to India at that time,” the company said on its website.

The Houthi attacks have effectively diverted much of global trade, forcing freight companies to travel around Africa, causing higher costs and delays in the delivery of energy, food and consumer goods.

A dozen shipping companies, including Italian-Swiss shipping giant Mediterranean Shipping Company, France's CMA CGM and Denmark's AP Moller-Maersk, have halted Red Sea traffic due to the attacks.

Washington announced earlier this week the launch of a multinational force comprising more than 20 countries to protect ships crossing the Red Sea.

Last week, a US guided missile destroyer shot down 14 attack drones believed to have been launched from Houthi-controlled Yemen.

The Houthi leadership has warned that if they are attacked, they will strike back at “US warships” and “US interests”.