The United States and the United Kingdom have suggested that they may take military action against Yemen’s Houthi rebels after they reportedly thwarted the most extensive attack on Red Sea shipping to date. Carrier-based jets and warships successfully managed to bring down 21 drones and missiles launched by the Iran-backed group on Tuesday night. The allies have made it clear that there will be “consequences” for such attacks. The UK Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps stated, “We will take the action needed to protect innocent lives and the global economy.”
The Houthis claim they targeted a US ship providing support to Israel. They repeatedly assert that they are attacking merchant vessels connected to Israel, in protest at Israeli action during the war in Gaza. Tuesday’s attack was the 26th on commercial shipping in the Red Sea since 19 November. Houthi military spokesman Yahya al-Sarea confirmed the group had carried out an operation involving “a large number of ballistic and naval missiles and drones.”
In a statement on Wednesday morning, Shapps warned that the UK and its allies had “previously made clear that these illegal attacks are completely unacceptable and if continued the Houthis will bear the consequences.” The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, spoke out against the incident, saying he spent the past four days in the region warning the Houthis to cease their aggression. They refused to do so and claimed they are explicitly targeting US ships.
Almost 15% of global seaborne trade passes through the Red Sea, linked to the Mediterranean by the Suez Canal, and is the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia. The International Chamber of Shipping notes that 20% of the world’s container ships are now avoiding the Red Sea and using the more extended route around the southern tip of Africa. The fear is that fuel prices will rise, and supply chains will be damaged.
Yemen has been devastated since 2014, when the Houthis took control of the capital, Sanaa, and seized large parts of western Yemen the following year and the Saudi-led coalition’s intervention. The conflict has led to significant humanitarian implications with over 150,000 deaths and 21 million people in need of aid
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