According to Mick Mulroy, an ABC News national security and defense analyst, Iran has provided drone submarines to Yemen’s Houthis.
Iran’s ties to Yemen Along with ballistic missiles, the Houthis have already begun using aerial and sea drones (also known as boat/surface drones) against foreign ships and vessels in the Red Sea. As reported, there have been direct hits on commercial tankers over the past few days.
Unmanned submarines, however, are reportedly still another ‘toy’ that the Houthis, with assistance from Iran, have in their arsenal and that they employed in attacks over the weekend. “The U.S. conducted what it called self-defense strikes on five targets in the Houthi-controlled area of Yemen after the Houthis employed an unmanned submarine for the first time since attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden began, the Pentagon said,” ABC reported, outlining the events of Sunday.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Putin gifted Kim Jong Un a luxury Russian limo made by Aurus after Kim showed keen interest in the vehicle during Putin’s visit last year.
The US-led coalition has had to defend against surface boat drones up until now because they are simpler to detect. However, as a result of Israel’s conflict in Gaza, the Houthis are now waging an even harder-to-detect battle on Red Sea ships.
According to Mick Mulroy, an ABC News national security and defense analyst who used to work for the Pentagon and the CIA, the Houthis are intensifying their attempts to attack a US warship.
“The Houthis and the IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] are adjusting their strategy, apparently because they haven’t been successful in striking a U.S. naval vessel,” Mulroy stated. “If one or more of these weapons get through and kill U.S. sailors, Iran should expect to be held directly responsible.”
“The Houthis are not likely capable of manufacturing these weapons on their own, so they are probably coming from Iran,” he explained, and went on to describe the Houthi strategy as seeking to “overwhelm the ship’s defenses” in a “swarm attack.”
It would seem that the Houthis may now launch more complex, multifaceted attacks from the air, the surface of the water, and below the water.
Iranian state media didn’t reveal the nation’s first underwater drone (UUV) development until December of last year:
The homegrown UUV, also known as an underwater drone that can operate without a human occupant, was unveiled in an exhibition of the Iranian Navy’s achievements on Saturday.
The underwater vehicle can discover and terminate various underwater mines by carrying a wide range of equipment. The Iranian UUV can go as deep as 200 meters with an endurance of 24 hours.
Since the Persian Gulf is relatively shallow, it may contain a series of underwater mines laid at depths of 10 to 50 meters, which could cause serious damage to vessels as heavy as 250 tons.
Iran’s navy is reportedly using at least one surveillance ship to operate in the Red Sea region, according to recent reports from the area. Former US officials claimed that the spy ship is probably providing the Houthis with intelligence about their targets.
There is a chance that the drones could receive assistance from Iranian reconnaissance assets in the area if the recent allegations claiming that Tehran is providing the Houthis with underwater drones are accurate.
One Response
The “analyst” Mulroy wants to hold Iran accountable for any damage from these weapons but note — not one single word about Washington and buddies supplying weapons to Ukraine that are killing Russians.
Just more cheerful propaganda from the folks in Washington that brought us the “rules-based order” (follow Washington’s rules or else).