On Monday morning, Houthi militants claimed to have hit an “American ship” named the Star Iris with missiles in the Red Sea.

According to Bloomberg, the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel owned by United States-listed Star Bulk Carriers Corp. was hit by two missiles that caused “minor damage.” The ship was transiting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait at the time of the attack.

بيانٌ صادرٌ عنِ القواتِ المسلحةِ اليمنية
بسمِ اللهِ الرحمنِ الرحيم

قال تعالى: ( الَّذِينَ آَمَنُوا يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا يُقَاتِلُونَ فِي سَبِيلِ الطَّاغُوتِ فَقَاتِلُوا أَوْلِيَاءَ الشَّيْطَانِ إِنَّ كَيْدَ الشَّيْطَانِ كَانَ ضَعِيفًا )صدقَ اللهُ… pic.twitter.com/eF9vxBVzMy

— العميد يحيى سريع (@army21ye) February 12, 2024

UKMTO WARNING

INCIDENT 029 Update 001 https://t.co/XsgrK5uW2N#MaritimeSecurity #MarSec pic.twitter.com/DqP9vcptKg

— United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) February 12, 2024

The Houthis have attacked more than a dozen commercial vessels across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since mid-November. In recent weeks, the US and UK have retaliated with bombing raids in Yemen and across the Middle East.

Houthi Rebels Vow Revenge Against U.S. After Attacks This Weekend

The continued conflict in the Red Sea, which is a major global shipping lane, threatens the supply chain all over the world.

The increasing threat of a wider regional conflict in the Middle East recently led MUFG Bank’s analysts to warn clients about “higher friction geopolitics” that could jeopardize several maritime chokepoints.

Last week, Deutsche Bank Research warned clients: “Red alert 101: Tension in the global supply chain.” 

And days ago, Japanese shipping giant Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd. warned the Red Sea crisis could last up to one year.  This could have a bigger impact than the scamdemic did on the supply chain.

Crisis In The Red Sea Threatens To Disrupt Global Supply Chains Even More Than The Pandemic Did

Houthi Rebels Continue Attacks In Red Sea

According to a report by Reuters, this is was described as a targeting of a cargo ship. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis have also targeted a cargo ship in the Red Sea which shipping analysts said on Monday had been carrying corn to Iran. It appeared to be the first time the Houthis have targeted an Iran-bound vessel since starting attacks on international shipping in solidarity with Palestinians over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, shipping sources said.

The attacks and retaliatory responses are not stopping, meaning the chances of this conflict spreading to an even bigger one are relatively high right now.