Houthi Attacks in the Red Sea

In late 2016 the Iranian Motor Vessel Saviz entered the Red Sea. Officially described as a merchant ship by Iran, it was soon obvious that the ship was not transporting cargo. It did not proceed through the Red Sea, but instead loitered in the shipping lanes where 15 percent of the world’s global trade passes. Iran subsequently admitted that the Saviz was operated by the Republican Guard and was on a mission to “counteract piracy in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.”

The Iranian explanation proved to be ironic, as the Saviz did not participate in any international effort to counter piracy. Instead, the Saviz was outfitted with an array of surveillance and communications equipment, and maintained position near the shipping lanes to visually identify passing ships which may have turned off their transponders. The Houthis, an Iranian proxy group fighting in Yemen, soon began launching missiles targeting shipping in the Red Sea. The satellite photo shows the Saviz drifting in the shipping lanes.

On 01OCT16 the Houthis hit the United Arab Emirates transport ship Swift with an Iranian-supplied Noor anti-ship missile, which damaged the ship but caused no casualties. The U.S. Navy dispatched warships to the area. The Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Mason (DDG-87) was attacked by Houthi missiles on three separate occasions, but managed to shoot them all down without damage. The U.S. responded by destroying three Houthi radar sites which were involved in the attacks.

Saviz rotated crew and resupplied from passing Iranian merchant ships. Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IIRC) personnel passed on intelligence and directed the Houti attacks. The Saviz operated small boats from her deck to smuggle military equipment and IIRC advisors to the Houthis. On 06APR21 Israeli Defense Force frogmen planted several limpet mines which disabled the Saviz, which was towed back to Iran and eventually decommissioned.

The Iranians replaced the Saviz with a sister ship, the Behshad, which is also configured for intelligence gathering and surveillance, as well as operating as a mothership for smuggling operations. After the 07OCT attacks on Israel by Hamas (another Iranian proxy group) the Houthis intensified their attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea. IIRC officers provide tracking, target identification, and coordinate Houti attacks from the Behshad. To date, more than one hundred attacks have been launched by the Houthis, many of those have been directed against U.S. Navy warships. Unfortunately, the Behshad was the victim of a cyber attack in February, but the extent of degradation to her capabilities has not been publicly disclosed.

On 19NOV23 the Japanese NYK Line car carrier Galaxy Leader was hijacked by Houthi pirates and taken back to Yemen, the ship and her predominantly Filipino crew are still being held hostage. The ship had been operating with her transponder off to hide her identity, but had passed within visual range of the Behshad hours before.

The Houthis have been provided with a wide variety of Iranian missiles and drones for use in their attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea. These are typically reverse-engineered copies of foreign designs or their derivatives. Prominent in this photo is a Quds-1 cruise missile, which comes in land attack or anti-ship versions. It is a derivative of the Russian Kh-55. To the left rear are a several UAVs of various designs, to the right rear is a Tankil ballistic missile.

The Houthis employ a range of Iranian drones, many of which can be configured for either surveillance or attack missions. This is the Samad UAV, which has a wingspan of approximately 20 feet and carries a payload of 40 pounds. While these have been used in a number of attacks, they are slow and their small payloads are unlikely to cause significant damage to a ship.

Another type of drone used by the Houthis is the Shahed 136, which carries a 110-pound warhead. It is considered to be a loitering munition, able to circle above an assigned area and search for a target. The Iranians have also supplied these to the Russians for use against Ukraine, this one was photographed attacking Kiev.

This photograph shows damage to the superstructure of the MV Genco Picardy, a U.S. bulk carrier, likely a hit from a drone on 18JAN24. Note the razor wire hung from her lifelines to discourage boarders. The Indian Navy has also played a prominent role in countering the Houthi attacks, this photo was taken from an Indian Navy helicopter which had responded to the Genco Picardy’s distress call.

Many of the Houthi missiles and drones are launched from field-erected rails or mobile platforms such as this truck, seen here launching an Iranian Noor anti-ship cruise missile. The Noor is a copy of the Chinese C-802, itself a copy of the French Exocet. While U.S. and British aircraft and ships have conducted several strikes against Houthi launch sites, one military officer has likened the strikes to “bombing a junkyard” and they have not deterred the attacks.

There are many types of ballistic missiles which the Iranians have supplied to their proxies. These missiles boost to altitude, then fall back down onto their targets. This is the Mohit, which is a copy of the Russian SA-2 anti-aircraft missile.

The Iranians reinforced their presence on New Year’s Day when the frigate IRIS Alborz entered the Red Sea. She is a British Vospers Mark V design and has been in commission since 1971. While small for a warship, her surveillance and communications capabilities will allow the Iranians to continue their operations despite the potential damage to the Behshad’s capabilities.