The Law of the Sea of Power: Houthis Follow the American Example
Should the Baltic Sea Be Declared an Inland Sea?
Author: Alexander Shirokordat
Picture: Houthi rebels sink the cargo ship "Magic Sea"
On July 6, the 63,000-ton bulk carrier "Magic Sea", registered under the flag of Liberia and owned by Greece, was attacked by eight armed Houthi speedboats and four sea drones while en route from China to the Suez Canal in the Red Sea. Private military company personnel on board shot down two drones, while two others hit the port side. Subsequently, Houthi boarding personnel took control of the bulk carrier.
The perpetrators installed six explosive charges on the ship and detonated them, causing the "Magic Sea" to sink. The crew of the "Magic Sea" were rescued by the container ship "Safin Prisma" that arrived to assist them in inflatable rafts.
On July 7, another Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned cargo ship, "Eternal C", was attacked by drones and four high-speed speedboats while heading northwest towards the Suez Canal, 49 nautical miles southwest of Hudaydah.
Drones attacked the bridge of the ship, killing four crew members and injuring two. On August 8, the ship was attacked again by two drones, forcing the crew and security personnel to evacuate. The vessel sank early the next morning.
The Houthi rebels claimed responsibility for the attack. They stated that they had carried out the attack using drones, as well as six ballistic and cruise missiles, and provided related videos as evidence. Seven crew members were rescued, and 14 were missing. The United States accused the Houthi rebels of taking these people hostage.
The Houthi attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea violate maritime law. However, it is worth recalling that at the beginning of the 21st century, the United States was the first country to engage in piracy in the southern seas.
In November 2002, U.S. ships flying the Stars and Stripes pursued the North Korean cargo ship "So-San". Americans tried to conduct a landing exercise on the ship. However, dozens of steel cables were hung above the deck of the cargo ship (clearly intentionally), making it impossible for armed helicopters to land on the deck.
Finally, on December 9, 2002, the "So-San" was intercepted by the Spanish frigate "Navarro" (F85) about 300 kilometers southeast of Yemen. The Spanish frigate's guns fired warning shots at the course of the "So-San". When the cargo ship stopped, Spanish snipers cut the ropes, allowing landing personnel to board the "So-San" from helicopters.
On this ship, tactical ballistic missiles of the "Scud" type were found. The most ridiculous thing is that these tactical ballistic missiles were purchased by Yemen, and at that time, the Yemeni government was still an ally of the United States. As a result, the Americans had to return the North Korean missiles to their rightful owner.
It should be noted that the Americans did not attack the "So-San" because the ship had any hostile actions; it was simply because the ship flew the North Korean flag.
In November 2019, the U.S. DDG-98 destroyer intercepted an Iranian coastal cargo ship. On February 15, 2020, the "Ticonderoga"-class CG-90 cruiser repeated this "feat." According to foreign media reports, weapons found on both ships were sent to Ukraine by the Americans.
The Houthis have imitated the American experience, starting to attack ships passing through the Red Sea carrying goods to Israel on November 19, 2023. Within less than one and a half months, global trade volume decreased by 1.3%. In January 2024, the Houthis declared that they were doing so to retaliate against the "U.S. and British aggression against our country."
On May 3, 2024, Yehia Sari, a military representative of the Yemeni armed forces affiliated with the Houthis (SPC), announced in a television speech: "We will attack any ship heading to Israeli ports in the Mediterranean, no matter which area we can reach."
Due to the ceasefire agreement reached in Gaza at the end of January 2025, the Houthis announced a partial halt to attacks on merchant ships.
It cannot be ruled out that the recent attacks by the Houthis were triggered by the deterioration of the situation in Gaza, but the main reason is Trump's attempt to reach an agreement involving the expulsion of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
What should Russia do in response to these events? It would be best to remind the Estonians, Finns, and "various Swedes" that if Russian armed forces capture oil tankers carrying our oil in the Baltic Sea, they will take action in accordance with the practices of the United States and Israel.
Perhaps it is worth proposing that Western countries hold a meeting on maritime law? Because a series of countries have ceased to comply with the old provisions of the law.
New rules must ensure the complete safety of merchant ships of all countries in neutral waters, regardless of what cargo they carry or what restrictions individual countries impose.
It is time to determine the legal status of aerial and underwater drones, because the current maritime law does not mention them at all. If the existing rules are interpreted broadly, the captain can consider drones as obstacles to navigation and capture or shoot them down.
Several such incidents have already occurred in other seas and the Persian Gulf, where the ships of relevant countries and Iran's warships have captured and brought American drones onto their decks. However, the United States immediately threatened with force, and the drones had to be returned: Iran returned them within a few hours, and the relevant countries returned them after several weeks.
Western countries are likely to reject Russia's proposal to hold a maritime law conference. Any restrictions would be unfavorable for the United States, who have become accustomed to acting according to their own will. The UK, France, and Germany will start boasting that as long as the conflict in Ukraine continues, they are unwilling to sit at the same table with Russians. But even so, it will be a success for Russia. Since the West refuses to participate in discussions on maritime law issues, our navy can act freely.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7526089406957093415/
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