U.S. Navy warship downs Iranian-backed air assault in the Red Sea
by Mark Moran
Washington DC (UPI) Dec 29, 2023

The Navy's USS Mason shot down one drone and one anti-ship ballistic missile in the Southern Red Sea that were fired by the Houthi rebels, the U.S. Central Command said Thursday.

The attack occurred between 5:45 p.m. and 6:10 p.m. Sanaa time, U.S. officials said.

This is the 22nd attempted attack on international shipping vessels since Oct. 19, CENTCOM said. There were no reports of damage or injury in the incident, which have become nearly routine for U.S. vessels patrolling the Red Sea to try to instill and maintain maritime order in light of the conflict between Hamaz and Gaza. There are currently 18 vessels in the region and none have reported damage from the nearly two dozen attacks.

Most of the munitions that have been fired, either at allied vessels or in their vicinity on their way to Israel, have been fired by Iranian backed forces, like the Houthis, CENTCOM has said.

In an attempt to beat back the Houthi militia threat, the U.S has issued sanctions against groups that have assisted Iran either with weapons or funding. It has also launched the multinational Operation Prosperity Guardian with the aim of countering the escalating Houthi attacks.

U.S. Treasury targets network financing Houthi attacks
Washington DC (UPI) Dec 29, 2023 - The U.S. Treasury said it has identified numerous financial entities responsible for facilitating financial aid from Iran to Houthi rebels.

The Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control on Thursday designated one person and three entities responsible for facilitating financial aid from Iran to Houthi forces active in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The statement from OFAC named head of the Currency Exchangers Association in Sanaa, Yemen, and three exchange houses in Yemen and Turkey responsible for helping transfer millions of dollars to the Houthis at the direction of Sa'id al-Jamal, who is affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force.

As a result of the Treasury's sanctions, all property and interests in property of the designated entities that are in the U.S. are now blocked and must be reported to OFAC. The office also warned any persons or financial institutions that engage in certain transactions with the sanctioned entities may be subject to sanctions themselves.

"Today's action underscores our resolve to restrict the illicit flow of funds to the Houthis, who continue to conduct dangerous attacks on international shipping and risk further destabilizing the region," said Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence Brian Nelson.

Houthi forces have launched numerous missiles at commercial vessels near Yemen's coastline,"sharply" disrupting the free flow of commerce throughout the region since October, the Treasury said.

Thursday's action came shortly after Iran's supreme leader Ayatolla Ali Khameni denounced Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza as "bloodthirsty and cruel" and called on Islamic governments to take action to prevent vital shipments from reaching Israel.

Houthis most recently launched a missile strike Tuesday against a container ship owned by Swiss shipping giant MSC in the Red Sea en route from Saudi Arabia to Pakistan. MSC said all crew were safe with no injuries, and no details of damage to the vessel was reported.

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