Suspected Houthi Missile Hits Container Ship; Rebel Forces Claim US MQ-9 Drone Downed Amid Regional War Risks

The assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas’ top leader, in Tehran last week has brought the Middle East closer than ever to the brink of all-out war ahead of the US presidential elections in November. After a two-week lull, Iran-backed Houthis targeted a Liberian-flagged container ship traveling through the Gulf of Aden, and rebel forces claimed to have downed a US military spy drone this weekend.

Bloomberg reported a Houthi missile struck the container ship “Groton” just above the waterline, causing minor damage to the hull. 

British maritime agency UKMTO said Groton was “hit by a missile,” adding, “No fires, water ingress or oil leaks have been observed.”

Bloomberg maritime data shows Groton left Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates about a week ago, bound for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The incident occurred on Saturday. Following the incident, the ship’s transponder was turned off, and the vessel’s location only reappeared on Sunday—with Groton now moored in the East African country of Djibouti.

Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree claimed the attack on Groton on X on Sunday morning. He also said rebel forces “shot down an American MQ-9 aircraft.” 

Possible footage of the downed MQ9 drone. 

Images of the fragmented advanced MQ9 drone of the US Air Force, which was shot down by Yemen’s Ansarullah . pic.twitter.com/3vi1fENJO6

— S p r i n t e r (@SprinterFamily) August 4, 2024

Bloomberg Noted, “The rebels have targeted more than 70 vessels with missiles and drones in a campaign that has killed four sailors. They have seized one vessel and sunk two in the time since.” 

Meanwhile, the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group is set to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group in the Middle East.

Eight months after the Biden administration launched Operation Prosperity Guardian to ensure freedom of navigation in the southern Red Sea, the Houthi threats remain ongoing. The clogging of one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints has resulted in a supply shock. 

One of the biggest fears the Biden administration has is if Iran launches a retaliatory attack on Israel that sends Brent crude prices above $100/bbl. This threat was detailed in early March under the note “The Weaponization Of Crude Could Trigger The Next Financial Shock.”

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