The Red Sea is a large body of water in the Middle East, connecting the Indian Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea.
This historic waterway is bordered by many countries, such as Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Djibouti, Israel, Somalia, Sudan, Eritrea, and Egypt.
Made famous in the Bible for being the sea that was split by Moses during the Exodus, the Red Sea continues to hold considerable geopolitical and commercial importance. The two entrances to the sea, the Bab-el-Mandeb straits between Yemen and Djibouti and the Suez Canal in Egypt, are some of the most vital waterways on Earth.
A second round of talks was supposed to be held in February but was delayed due to attempts to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
There were no injuries or damage reported, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the group will escalate their military operations in the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in solidarity with Palestinians during the war in Gaza.
The Houthis have attacked numerous ships since they chose to support Hamas’ attack on Israel. This is the first time the Houthis killed anyone in their attacks.
October 7 may have been the opening shot of a much larger war.
A 5,000km “strategic depth” clearly indicates Iran now views the whole region as its “near abroad.”
Significant damage was caused to the targeted vessel and all the crewmembers abandoned ship.
Around 15% of the world's shipping traffic passes through the territorial waters.
When the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza comes to an end, as it must eventually do, the Houthis might seize the opportunity to withdraw from holding the world to ransom.
More thought needs to be put into what to do when and if ships are struck by missiles. Letting ships slowly sink is not a good solution.