This the latest in the series, “What’s Going on With Shipping?” The accompanying description is quoted below.
“In this episode, Sal Mercogliano – maritime historian at Campbell University (@campbelledu) and former merchant mariner – discusses the battle between the Houthi and US and Royal Navy forces of Operation Prosperity Guardian on Jan 9, 2024. A first-hand report of the battle, the role of an Iranian spy ship, and how China is promoting their flag as a defense.”
There is some very interesting discussion here regarding lack of communications between the merchant ships and the navy vessels, US and British.
Chuck Hill's CG Blog 
I watched the video earlier.
You would think the Israeli Sea Corps would do something about Iranian ship.
Actually, I doubt it. The more the Hamas and their friends are seen as evil, the less criticism Israel will face for its actions.
The things the Houthis are doing are having little or no effect on Israeli and are essentially providing no assistance to Hamas, but they are distracting world attention from what is happening in Gaza. In a way that may be helping Israel.
I agree. I understand not wanting the war to widen but at some point, that Iranian spotter is going to have to be neutralized. By somebody.
It would be an escalation if a Western navy did it.
But the Israelis don’t care.
It’s already escalated. It’s a matter of time before one of our ships gets hit.
Global commerce is already being disrupted.
With data already collected on how the Iranian ships have been assisting the attacks, it would be easy to justify some sort of neutralization option: boarding and seizing or jamming as less kinetic, or a torpedo from the Florida. Or my favorite option: planting an Iranian mine in front of the ship and using that to blame Iran for doing the escalation…
There may be additional spotters on Dhows all over the area.
Agree. Plus, from what the Navy targeted, there’s a high.probabilty the Houthis were using radars situated up in the hills.
The Iranian Navy just seized an oil tanker.
What’s going on now is the biggest threat to open sea lanes since the tanker wars.
The US has been the guarantor of freedom of navigation since after WW2.
We will have to act at some point.
We already threatened to escalate, if attacks continued. Houthis made their response, see your threat, raise my threat. We really need an overwhelming response, including perhaps taking out the spotter if we are really sure that is what she is doing.
I would think we have the ability to intercept or jam the communications from that Iranian ship.
I’m sure we have a pretty good idea what is going on and how.
@Malph, That would be my assumption too.
U.S. Central Command late Thursday said the series of strikes hit more than 60 targets at 16 locations in Houthi-controlled parts of Yemen, including command and control nodes, munitions depots, launching systems, and production facilities. https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/news/2024/01/mil-240112-voa01.htm?_m=3n%2e002a%2e3812%2ejj0ao001ud%2e3jk1
I have to wonder what if anything the PATFORSWA cutters are doing as a result of this crisis.