Iran-backed Houthis have intensified their unmanned suicide surface drone attacks in the critical maritime chokepoint of the southern Red Sea. Dramatic footage shows the crew of a container ship successfully destroying a Houthi kamikaze boat drone with small-arms fire. 

The video surfaced overnight on X. There has been no official MSM confirmation of the video so far. Depending on the X user, the crew of the vessel, which is not named, is either Ukrainian or Russian.

When you see speed boats like this headed toward your ship in #RedSea, Aden Gulf or Bab El Mandab, shoot at them and destroy them before they blow-up your ship. #Houthi terrorists have so far attacked several oil tankers with these unmanned surface vessels. pic.twitter.com/EfYg7Rgd3g

— Babak Taghvaee – The Crisis Watch (@BabakTaghvaee1) July 23, 2024

“This video was making the rounds yesterday and seems to be a Houthi USV attacking a containership with the embarked security team opening fire,” shipping expert Sal Mercogliano wrote on X. The ship’s crew appeared to have successfully repelled the attack. 

This video was making the rounds yesterday and seems to be a #Houthi USV attacking a containership with the embarked security team opening fire.

The USV blew up prior to impact with the ship. https://t.co/Nev7u5pN7Z

— Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) 🚢⚓🐪🚒🏴‍☠️ (@mercoglianos) July 23, 2024

The timing of the incident remains unknown. Additionally, the IMO ship identification number and the exact location of the incident have yet to be shared on X.

X user H I Sutton provides a detailed guide on the type of vessel the Houthis could use for drone boat attacks. 

Source: H I Sutton

Over the weekend, Israeli fighter jets pounded the Houthi-controlled port of Hodeida in Yemen. This was an unprecedented operation in response to a prior deadly drone attack on Tel Aviv launched from Yemen late last week. 

Houthis have released footage of other recent boat drone attacks in the critical maritime chokepoint. 

VIDEO OF THE DAY: The Houthis of Yemen have released a propaganda video of their attack against the oil tanker MT Chios Lion using an uncrewed surface vessel (USV). The oil tanker suffered minor damage and the crew is safe | #OOTT pic.twitter.com/CdMr1kz26v

— Javier Blas (@JavierBlas) July 16, 2024

This is supposedly a video of the Houthis’ attack on the MV TUTOR using at least one unmanned surface vessel and/or other projectiles. Those are some big freakin explosions. No owner should be putting their crews at risk like that pic.twitter.com/SPZ0f8JxIi

— Mike Schuler (@MikeSchuler) June 19, 2024

As previously noted, the continued disruptions in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have sparked a ‘supply shock‘ in the global economy by sending container rates for certain shipping lanes sky-high.