THE US bombed radar stations in Yemen over the weekend, saying they are used for Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.

US Central Command said it had destroyed seven radars on Houthi-controlled territory, shot down a drone and sunk two “bomb-laden drone boats.”

Traffic through the Red Sea is at half its level before the Israeli invasion of Gaza, as the Houthis have targeted ships they say are linked to Israel’s war effort or operated by its allies, notably Britain and the US.

The US navy’s anti-Houthi campaign has been described as the most intense naval campaign it has fought since World War II.

The attacks followed a Houthi boat attack on a cargo ship, the Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned Tutor, whose crew had to abandon ship. One merchant sailor remains missing.

One in 10 ships globally are Liberian-flagged, which allows owners to evade higher taxes and better regulated pay and conditions for seafarers applied by most other states.