Current:Home > InvestWhite House accuses Iran of being "deeply involved" in Red Sea attacks on commercial ships -Elevate Money Guide
White House accuses Iran of being "deeply involved" in Red Sea attacks on commercial ships
PredictIQ View
Date:2025-04-09 14:48:29
The U.S. on Friday accused Iran of close involvement in attacks on commercial ships by Yemen's Houthi rebels, stepping up the tone as Washington considers tougher measures including possible force.
The White House publicly released U.S. intelligence as the Iranian-linked Yemeni insurgents persist with ship strikes they say are in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel is battling Hamas militants.
The White House said that Tehran's clerical state has provided drones and missiles to the Houthis as well as tactical intelligence.
"We know that Iran was deeply involved in planning the operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea," National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said.
"We have no reason to believe that Iran is trying to dissuade the Houthis from this reckless behavior," she said.
The Houthis, who control vast parts of the Arabian Peninsula's poorest country, including the capital Sanaa, have launched more than 100 drone and missile attacks, targeting 10 merchant vessels, according to the Pentagon.
On Tuesday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held an emergency meeting with defense officials from dozens of countries, along with the European Union and NATO, to address what he called "reckless, dangerous" attacks which "violate international law."
Last week, U.S. Central Command reported that the USS Carney, a guided missile destroyer, shot down 14 attack drones suspected to have been fired from Houthi-controlled regions of Yemen.
In a Nov. 15 interview with CBS News, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian denied that Iran was responsible for a drone fired from Yemen that was shot down by the guided-missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner. The drone appeared to be targeting the Hudner, U.S. officials said at the time.
"We really didn't want this crisis to expand," Amir-Abdollahian told CBS News, referencing the Israel-Hamas war. "But the U.S. has been intensifying the war in Gaza by throwing its support behind Israel. Yemen makes its own decisions and acts independently."
Earlier this week, energy giant BP announced it was temporarily suspending all gas and oil shipments in the Red Sea because of the attacks.
And with commercial traffic disrupted, the U.S. recently announced a multinational naval task force of more than 20 countries to protect vessels transiting the Red Sea.
In a show of force, the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower has entered the Gulf of Aden.
Rebel leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi warned Wednesday that if they were attacked, the rebels would strike back against "American battleships, American interests and American navigation."
The White House said that U.S. visual analysis found nearly identical features between Iran's KAS-04 drones and the unmanned vehicles fired by the Houthis, as well as consistent features between Iranian and Houthi missiles.
The Houthis are also reliant on Iranian-provided monitoring systems at sea, the White House said.
"Moreover, Iranian-provided tactical intelligence has been critical in enabling Houthi targeting of maritime vessels since the group commenced attacks in November," Watson said.
The Biden administration had initially kept a low-key tone on the Houthi attacks, in part out of an interest in preserving a fragile peace in Yemen.
The Houthis and the Saudi-backed government have effectively maintained a United Nations-brokered truce since April 2022, halting a devastating war that triggered a humanitarian crisis in which most of the population relies on aid.
Iran's religious leadership openly supports Hamas, whose gunmen broke through Gaza's militarized border on Oct. 7 and killed more than 1,200 people in Israel, mostly civilians, and abducted several hundred more.
U.S. officials have said they have no evidence that Tehran had previous knowledge or directly planned the attack.
Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas. Its relentless bombardment and ground invasion of Gaza has killed more than 20,000 people, most of them women and children, according to Hamas authorities.
- In:
- Iran
- Red Sea
- Houthi Movement
- Yemen
veryGood! (4767)
Related
- Mets have visions of grandeur, and a dynasty, with Juan Soto as major catalyst
- These kids revamped their schoolyard. It could be a model to make cities healthier
- Without paid family leave, teachers stockpile sick days and aim for summer babies
- An eating disorders chatbot offered dieting advice, raising fears about AI in health
- Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
- Taylor Swift and Ice Spice's Karma Remix Is Here and It's Sweet Like Honey
- Gun deaths hit their highest level ever in 2021, with 1 person dead every 11 minutes
- Arctic Drilling Lease Sale Proposed for 2019 in Beaufort Sea, Once Off-Limits
- Juan Soto to be introduced by Mets at Citi Field after striking record $765 million, 15
- The hospital bills didn't find her, but a lawsuit did — plus interest
Ranking
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Hilary Swank Shares Motherhood Update One Month After Welcoming Twins
- Connecticut Program Makes Solar Affordable for Low-Income Families
- Malpractice lawsuits over denied abortion care may be on the horizon
- San Francisco names street for Associated Press photographer who captured the iconic Iwo Jima photo
- Amazon Reviewers Swear By These 15 Affordable Renter-Friendly Products
- Tourist subs aren't tightly regulated. Here's why.
- Ohio man accused of killing his 3 sons indicted, could face death penalty
Recommendation
What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
Here's How Succession Ended After 4 Seasons
Intermittent fasting may be equally as effective for weight loss as counting calories
How Late Actor Ray Stevenson Is Being Honored in His Final Film Role
Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
The NCAA looks to weed out marijuana from its banned drug list
What Happened to Natalee Holloway: Breaking Down Every Twist in the Frustrating Case
This satellite could help clean up the air