Houthis Continue to Disrupt Trade

Last week, Houthi rebels engaged in their deadliest initiative yet: an attack against a Comoros-flagged ship.

The MT Prestige Falcon, an oil tanker headed to Aden, Yemen, capsized near Ras Madrakah, Oman. While the Houthis haven't confirmed responsibility, specialized news outlets link them to the incident. Thus far, there is one confirmed death, six missing crew members, and nine rescued by the Indian navy. If the missing crew are found dead, it will be the deadliest attack by the Houthis on foreign nationals since a drone strike in Tel Aviv.

This, of course, is not the first attack of its type. outhi rebels have launched a series of strategic attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, claiming to support Palestine by blocking commerce in the area. These attacks are severely disrupting supply chains, by blocking access to the Suez Canal and forcing commercial vessels to reroute through the Cape of Good Hope—potentially adding weeks to their journeys. Since the start of Houthi attacks late last year, vessel crossings at the Suez Canal have fallen by 57.3% when compared to the same period last year.

The precise location of the MT Prestige Falcon attack falls outside the previously assumed influence radius for Houthi rebels. This, in turn, suggests the Houthis may possess weapons with a ranges of up to 2,500 km—up from the previous assumption of 1,000 km. This expanded range includes most of the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and a significant portion of the Indian Ocean.

At the time of writing, Houthis show no signs of decreasing their attacks, potentially leading to continued disruptions in the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, vital arteries for global imports.

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