A United States maritime advisory on Monday issued guidance to American-flagged ships to turn off Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) transponders when transiting bodies of water in the Middle East amid ongoing threats from the Houthi terrorist group.
The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) issued the new advisory due to "at least 47 separate Houthi attacks on commercial vessels" traveling through the Southern Red Sea, Bab el Mandeb Strait, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean, Somali Basin, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, Strait of Hormuz, and Persian Gulf.
U.S. ships "are at increased risk of targeting by adversarial actors" and are advised to "turn off their AIS transponders, unless vessel Masters believe that doing so would compromise the safety of the vessel."
"While vessels have been attacked by the Houthis while AIS transponders were on and while off, turning AIS off makes it more difficult to track and accurately target a vessel," says the advisory.
Further, the advisory warned "U.S.-flagged commercial vessels operating in these areas are advised to remain as far as possible from Yemen's coastline without compromising navigational safety. Crewmembers should be especially vigilant when at anchor, operating in restricted maneuvering conditions, loitering, or proceeding at slow speeds."
The advisory became necessary as Iran-backed militias continue to terrorize shipping lanes with impunity amid inaction from the Biden administration, military analysts tell Newsmax.
Further, MARAD also advised ships to ignore VHF transmission "by the Houthis, or entities claiming to be Yemeni authorities."
"U.S.-flagged commercial vessels should ignore the VHF call and continue their passage if safe to do so. U.S.-flagged commercial vessels that encounter this tactic are advised not to follow Houthi direction to divert course, as doing so may enhance the ability of the Houthis to accurately target vessels."
The guidance leaves it up to the individual shipping companies about "whether to embark a contracted armed security detail."
An attack on a Liberian cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden earlier this month resulted in the first fatalities amid the dozens of assaults by the Iran-backed Houthis. The attack on the True Confidence came after it had been hailed over radio by individuals claiming to be the Yemeni military, officials said.