The Red Sea has witnessed a notable lull in Houthi attacks since the Israeli strike on the port of Hodeidah in western Yemen early last week, despite ongoing US airstrikes and threats of retaliation from the group's leader.

For the past week, there have been no reported attacks by the Houthis, who are designated as a terrorist organization by several countries. The last attack claimed by the group occurred on July 19, 2024, targeting the vessel "Lobivia" in the Gulf of Aden.

The following day, the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a commercial vessel sustained minor damage after being attacked twice near the coastal city of Mocha, overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb strait in southwestern Yemen.

The UKMTO stated in a tweet , seen by Barran Press", that the vessel's captain reported two attacks approximately 64 nautical miles northwest of Mocha. The first attack involved an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone) that detonated near the vessel, causing minor damage. The second attack involved an unmanned surface vessel (USV) that exploded close to the ship.

The decline in Houthi attacks on commercial vessels and occupied territories comes despite threats from the group's leader, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, to retaliate for the Israeli airstrikes on civilian infrastructure in Hodeidah port. He vowed to continue attacking vessels sailing towards Israel.

Al-Houthi downplayed the significance of the Israeli strike on Hodeidah port, claiming that the group would continue its operations and that any further strikes would have no impact on its military capabilities. He emphasized that the group would not "retreat from its position."

Despite these threats, the past week following the Israeli attack has not seen any significant attacks, whether against Israel or ships navigating towards it in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, or other maritime sectors.

While Houthi attacks have diminished, US forces continue to carry out airstrikes against positions they claim belong to the Houthis. The group's media reported 13 airstrikes targeting locations in Hodeidah over the past two days.

According to Houthi media, US and British aircraft conducted 13 airstrikes targeting Houthi positions around Hodeidah airport and the Yemeni island of Kamaran in the Red Sea, which the group has transformed into a base for launching attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea.

In their daily updates, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported on July 24 that they had destroyed "two Houthi-prepared rockets." The following day, they announced the "destruction of a Houthi drone launch platform."

On July 26, CENTCOM announced the "destruction of six Houthi drones in a Houthi-controlled area in Yemen." Separately, CENTCOM stated that its forces had intercepted and destroyed three Houthi unmanned surface vessels operating off the coast of Yemen.

The Reason Behind the Ceasefire?

The cessation of Houthi attacks in the Red Sea since the Israeli strikes on Hodeidah has sparked numerous questions and analyses from Yemeni activists and journalists. Journalist Ahmed al-Sabbahi suggested that the "calm in the Red Sea indicates that the Houthis have taken the bait after the Hodeidah bombing or received instructions from Iran to adhere to the rules of engagement, as Hezbollah does, without engaging in direct confrontation with the Zionist entity."

Al-Sabbahi added in a tweet, monitored by "Barran Press", "Personally, I believe that the Houthis' recklessness will bury them in the deepest depths."

Yemeni writer and journalist Saleh al-Baidhani suggested that "a message from a third party reached the Houthis indicating that future Israeli strikes will target the group's leadership, which prompted them to halt their attacks."

Al-Baidhani stated in a tweet, seen by "Barran Press", "After the brutal attack on Hodeidah port, which hurt Yemenis of all orientations and resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians, the Houthis did not hide their joy and continued to repeat phrases implying that if the price of their alleged attacks on the entity is the destruction of what remains of the Yemeni people's resources, then there is no harm in that."

He added, "However, when they received a message from a third party that the upcoming strikes would target their leadership, they stopped issuing threats, while some are still waiting for their response, which will not come in the form of destroying Hodeidah port!"

On the evening of Saturday, July 20, Israeli warplanes launched airstrikes on Hodeidah port in western Yemen, targeting fuel tanks, a power station, and other infrastructure, causing them to catch fire and burn for days.

According to Houthi statistics, the Israeli airstrikes resulted in the deaths of nine civilians and injuries to 80 others. Many considered this to be the first such attack since the Houthis began operations against commercial vessels on November 21 of last year.

Israel later claimed responsibility for the airstrikes. An Israeli military spokesperson said, "Our warplanes carried out strikes on targets belonging to the Houthi regime in the Hodeidah port area in Yemen." He added that the strikes were "in response to Houthi attacks over the past months."

Early Friday morning, the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation announced that an Israeli was killed and 10 others were injured after a drone crashed in the middle of Tel Aviv. The Houthi group claimed responsibility for the attack, describing it as "the first of its kind."

Since last November, the Houthis, designated as a terrorist organization by several countries, have launched attacks using missiles and drones against commercial cargo ships in the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Gulf of Aden.

The group's attacks have led to increased maritime insurance costs and prompted many international shipping companies to opt for the much longer route around the southern tip of the African continent.

To deter the Houthis and protect maritime navigation, the United States formed a multinational coalition in December 2023. US forces have been conducting strikes against Houthi military targets intermittently.

Since January 12, US and British airstrikes against the Houthis on the ground have numbered approximately 560, resulting in the deaths of 58 individuals and injuries to 86 others, according to the group's own admission.

The internationally recognized Yemeni government maintains that Western strikes are ineffective in neutralizing the Houthi threat to navigation and that the most effective solution is to support its armed forces to recapture Hodeidah and its ports, along with other areas under the group's control.

Despite the group's continued claims of additional maritime attacks, only three ships out of the 170 they claim to have targeted since last November have reported serious incidents or damage.