THE Houthis have mounted a terrifying return to scourge the Red Sea after seven months.
Despite Donald Trump’s recent Yemen blitz to thwart the group, they appear to have come back fighting stronger – hammering two cargo ships within days of one another.
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Trump’s forces targeted Houthi positions in his brutal “Operation Rough Rider” to stamp out attacks on ships in the Red Sea – a vital artery for global trade.
The US also looked to batter Iran’s influence over the last major militant group capable of hitting Israel.
Trump boasted how the militants agreed to a ceasefire after he forced them to surrender.
He said on May 6, following 52 days of bombing: “[The Houthis] just don’t want to fight, and we will honour that and we will stop the bombings, and they have capitulated.
“They say they will not be blowing up ships any more.”
But this week, the world witnessed the group conduct some of their most intense operations yet – sinking two giant cargo ships within days of one another.
The group released dramatic footage of the Greek-owned Eternity C sinking, which had been targeted with gunfire and explosive drones – killing at least four crew members.
Rebels also sank bulk carrier Magic Seas in another hellish attack on Sunday.
The dramatic attacks have led to sea traffic dropping, while insurance costs have rocketed in one of the world’s major shipping lanes.
International security specialist Will Geddes told The Sun how the recent attacks are a clear sign there are more to follow due to backing from Iran.
He said: “Where this significantly increases the risk, particularly to the region, is that although there has been a volley of attacks by the Houthis, with the increased actions collaborating between the United States and Israel against Iran, we know that the Houthis are supported by Iran.
“Iran is providing them with more and more sophisticated weaponry, which only means that there is going to be darker times ahead.”
Between November 2023 and December 2024 alone, the Houthis targeted over a whopping 100 merchant vessels, hammering them with missiles and drones.
Two were sunk and four sailors were tragically killed.
But, until this week’s double ship blitz, their last strike had been seven months ago.
Whilst past attacks have been “much more aggressive,” it’s thought the group have been preparing during their absent months.
Martin Kelly, head of advisory for maritime security experts EOS Risk Group, told Financial Times: “They’ve had six months to replenish their stocks of anti-ship missiles and [sea drones], which could be a factor.”
And Yemeni expert on the Arabian Peninsula, Farea Al-Muslimi, added: “The Houthis needed to buy time because they were hit very badly by the American airstrikes. And now they want to resume.”
Methods used by the group have also evolved as their range of weapons continue to grow at a terrifying rate.
The group have now focused their attention on a seemingly effective attack launchers – unmanned vehicles.
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Mr Geddes told The Sun how despite the group claiming they utilised cruise missiles in the most recent attacks on the two vessels, “we know that they’ve been increasingly using drones to deliver explosive packages to these ships”.
The group pack speedboats with remote-controlled explosives that then drive into the side of a ship – forming a hole at water level which causes the ship to sink quickly.
Mr Geddes explained how they’re “similar to what we’ve seen historically with the Somali pirates” – and we’re set to see “an evolution” of vessels used to deliver the packages as the group grows stronger.
Mr Kelly told The Telegraph how unmanned surface vessels could be “the most dangerous type of weapon that the Houthis can use”.
Last year, United Nations experts said the Houthis were allegedly amassing an eye-watering $180 million each month – solely from shipping agencies.
The group allegedly allow the paying vessels to peacefully sail through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden without getting attacked.
Fears now loom that, due to the staggering amount given to the group, they could be becoming increasingly independent.
The Houthis have said they are attacking ships linked to Israel in order to show their stance with Palestinians in Gaza.
But many believe an ulterior motive in doing so is to bolster the group’s popularity.
An unnamed Iranian official told The Telegraph: “They do it for domestic reasons.
“They’re not very popular among Yemenis, but Yemenis like Palestine, so taking action for Gaza boosts [the Houthis’] popularity.”
Resuming attacks in the Red Sea continues to raise the rebel group’s international profile whilst also deflecting criticism from inside their own territory.
Mr Geddes told The Sun how there is “very little democracy” in Yemen due to the group’s power.
And as for now, experts argue there may not be a military solution to stopping attacks on ships passing through.
The official added: “They’ve seen that neither Trump nor Israel could stop them, so they think – why not sink a few more ships?
“We believe they’re bolder now because they’ve learnt that when the US or Israel bombs them, it doesn’t really stop their plans.
“Their strikes do nothing to stop them.”
And Mr Gedde’s told The Sun there’s a “diversity of different elements” the EU, UK, US and Saudi Arabia would have to do to prevent attacks.
He said: “This will be a combination of both an aviation-based and maritime-based levels of countermeasures and attacks against Houthi capabilities, launch points, both for missiles, projectiles, drones, and even any kind of missiles that they may have their hands on.
“It’s going to amplify the levels of aggression and hostility down there, but the Houthis will continue regardless.”
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Alongside this week’s intensified attacks on ships, Israel has urged the US to resume military operations against the rebels.
The Houthi group has continued to fire ballistic missiles at Israel since the tense ceasefire with Iran was reached.
But the firing attempts are – most of the time – blasted singly, meaning Israel’s Iron Dome is usually able to down them.
Israel has told the States that relentless strikes on shipping “can no longer remain solely an Israeli problem,” the country’s Kan public broadcaster reported.
It added that Jerusalem calls for “more intense combined attacks against Houthi regime targets — not just [Israeli] air force fighter jet strikes, but also a renewal of American attacks and the formation of a coalition including additional countries”.
An unnamed security official also told the broadcaster that Israel’s request for US help came at a time where Houthi aggression appears to be expanding.
They added: “A broad coalition is needed to convey to the Houthi regime that it is in danger.”
A few days ago, Israel bombed the hijacked Brit ship Galaxy Leader seized by Houthis in November 2023.
The car carrier was snatched by the terror group when crack troops swooped onto it with a helicopter.
The Galaxy Leader is owned by a British company, which is partially owned by Israeli tycoon Abraham Ungar.
The militants had celebrated its capture as a war trophy – with Yemeni influencers visiting the vessel to show it off.
The brutal attack on Sunday night involved around a whopping 50 missiles and bombs, according to the IDF.
The Force added the attack was in response to relentless Houthi attacks on Israel.
The IDF said: “The Houthi terrorist regime’s forces installed a radar system on the ship, and are using it to track vessels in international maritime space in order to promote the Houthi terrorist regime’s activities.”
Who are the Houthis?
THE Houthi rebels have spent months terrorising the Red Sea by launching persistent missile and drone attacks on vessels and warships – but who are they?
The Shia militant group, which now controls large swaths of Yemen, spent over a decade being largely ignored by the world.
However, since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, they sprung from relative obscurity to holding roughly £1trillion of world trade hostage – turning one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes into an active warzone.
Their warped battle cry is “Death to America, Death to Israel, curse the Jews and victory to Islam”.
Why are they attacking ships?
After the October 7 massacre, Houthis began launching relentless drone and missile attacks on any ships – including warships – they deem to be connected with Israel in solidarity with their ally, Hamas.
In reality, they targeted commercial vessels with little or no link to Israel – forcing global sea traffic to largely halt operations in the region and sending shipping prices around the world soaring.
The sea assaults added to the carnage in the Middle East tinderbox as intense ripples from Israel’s war in Gaza were felt across the region – with Iran accused of stoking the chaos.
The Houthi chiefs pledged their Red Sea attacks would continue until Israel stopped its offensive in Gaza.
The group’s chiefs have previously said their main targets are Israel, and its allies the US and Britain.
And despite repeated threats from the West and joint US and UK strikes blitzing their strongholds in Yemen – Iran’s terror proxy appears undeterred.
The UK and US have hit Houthi bases as recently as this month after the terror group once again targeted boats in the shipping lane.
Israel has also hammered the group with airstrikes, reportedly hitting oil storage tanks at the port in Al Hudaydah.