Speaking to The Associated Press on Monday, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, the head of the US Navy’s Mideast forces, stated that Iran is “very directly involved” in the attacks launched by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea.
However, the 5th Fleet commander refrained from asserting that Iranian leadership in Tehran was explicitly selecting targets and coordinating individual attacks. Nonetheless, Cooper explained that the geographic extent of attacks from groups within Iran’s sphere of influence has expanded beyond the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz into the greater region.
In the interview, Cooper described the scale of maritime violence against noncombatants in the region as “the most significant we’ve seen in two generations,” referencing the one-day naval battle between the US and Iran in the 1980s.
“Iran is clearly funding, they’re resourcing, they are supplying, and they’re providing training,” Cooper acknowledged. “They’re obviously very directly involved. There’s no secret there.” Last week, the US Navy seized a transport ship carrying Iranian-made weapons materials destined for the Houthis.
Earlier on Monday, before Cooper’s statement, the Houthis claimed an attack on the American cargo ship Ocean Jazz in the Gulf of Aden. The 5th Fleet communications department promptly refuted this claim.
In response, the US Naval Forces Central Command released a statement, explaining that “the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists’ report of an alleged successful attack on M/V Ocean Jazz is patently false.” The statement added that NAVCENT maintained constant communications with Ocean Jazz throughout its safe transit.
Since November of last year, there have been at least 34 Houthi-executed attacks against maritime vessels off the coast of Yemen. A US-led coalition was formed to counter Houthi aggression and ensure safe passage for civilian ships around the Egyptian Suez Canal. The US has conducted multiple rounds of airstrikes targeting Houthi military infrastructure in Yemen. The Houthis, in response, declared American and British ships as legitimate targets.
Late Monday evening, three US officials stated that American and British forces carried out another round of strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.