French Destroyer Rescues Mariners Amid Red Sea Houthi Attacks

A French destroyer saved 29 mariners from an oil tanker attacked by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea. The assault, linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict, disrupted a major trade route. The EU confirmed the tanker's stability, and the US military increased Middle East deployments in response to rising tensions.

A French destroyer has rescued 29 mariners from an oil tanker under repeated attack in the Red Sea, officials reported on Thursday. The destroyer also neutralized a bomb-carrying drone boat in the process.

Suspected Houthi rebels from Yemen launched the assault on the oil tanker Sounion, marking the most severe attack in the Red Sea in weeks. This assault is part of a broader, months-long campaign by the Houthis affecting ships due to the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, disrupting a crucial trade route where $1 trillion worth of cargo passes annually.

According to the European Union's Operation Aspides, the Sounion, staffed by Filipino and Russian crew members, is now anchored and stable in the Red Sea. However, it remains unclear if the vessel is still on fire. Four projectiles struck the ship, but it is not immediately known if they were drones or missiles.

Speculation surrounds the attack's perpetrators, as the Houthis have a history of delays in claiming responsibility. However, they have acknowledged recent US airstrikes in Hodeida, which destroyed a Houthi missile and radar system. Since the outbreak of the Gaza conflict in October, the Houthis have targeted over 80 vessels, seizing one and sinking two, resulting in the deaths of four sailors. Many of these ships have had little or no direct connection to the conflict.

The US military has responded by deploying the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to the region, amid growing threats from Iran following the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran. Additionally, the USS Georgia-guided missile submarine and USS Theodore Roosevelt are active in the region, with F-22 fighter jets and the USS Wasp amphibious assault ship providing further military support.

(With inputs from agencies.)