Houthi Attacks on U.S. Warships: A Further Step toward War in Red Sea
The Ansar Allah (Houthi) group has changed the scale of attacks in the Red Sea and began hitting U.S. warships in the Red Sea, claiming responsibility for their operations against the U.S. Navy.
While the Houthi group had said that its attacks are directed only at the Israeli ships or vessels bound for Israel, its Tuesday's missile and drone assaults on the U.S. military assets in the Red Sea appeared a step toward a bigger conflict.
Houthi spokesperson Yahya Saree said their attack on the U.S. forces was a reply to the American assault, which left ten Houthi naval soldiers killed on December 31.
The U.S. forces in the Red Sea have engaged in defensive military operations to avoid causing a wider conflict. However, with the Houthis declaring war on the American troops, the latter's self-restraint is fraying.
The White House has been considering military strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen despite the risk of a regional escalation. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday, "We've been clear with more than 20 other countries that if this continues, as it did yesterday [Tuesday], there will be consequences. This represents a clear threat to the interests of countries around the world, and it's important that the international community come together to respond."
So far, the Houthis have launched 26 attacks on ships in the Red Sea, saying their operations are part of their support for Palestinians in Gaza, which Israel has been bombing since October last year.
The U.K. has been in talks with the U.S., and the former suggests that attacks should focus on operations at sea rather than in Yemen because of the risks of escalation, Bloomberg quoted a U.K. official familiar with the conversations.
According to the source, Saudi officials want the attacks to be stopped but have displayed nervousness to the U.S. about any military action in Yemen.
The sources confirmed that Washington, London, and other countries are planning to launch a military operation targeting the Houthi command and control headquarters of maritime operations.
Earlier this month, sources told Sheba Intelligence that the U.S., U.K., and other countries are planning to launch a military operation targeting the Houthi command and control headquarters of maritime operations. The targets include Houthi depots and missile and drone launch pads in the ports of Al-Hudaydah, Al-Salif, Al-Luhayah, and several islands, including Kamaran Island.
On January 3, a joint statement by the U.S. and 13 other countries called on the Houthi to stop their attacks on shipping lines or "bear the responsibility of the consequences." However, the U.S. warning had zero influence on the Houthis, and Tuesday's barrage of missiles and drones on American warships marked a dangerous escalation that might be a recipe for a Houthi-U.S. war in the Red Sea.
As chaos continues to grow in the Red Sea, international condemnation of the Houthi attacks is increasing. On Wednesday, the UN Security Council adopted a U.S.-led resolution demanding the Iran-backed Houthis halt their attacks on merchant and commercial ships in the Red Sea. The resolution condemns Houthi attacks on merchant and commercial vessels since mid-November. It also called on the Houthis to free the 25 crew members of the Israeli-linked Galaxy Leader that the rebel group seized in November.