Drones fired from Yemen towards the Red Sea have not ceased, and the U.S. warning to Yemen's Ansar Allah (Houthi) group has failed to deter attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
On January 3, a joint statement by the U.S. and 12 other countries called on the Houthi to stop their attacks on shipping lines or "bear the responsibility of the consequences." Four days after the warning, the Iran-backed Yemeni group still launched assaults, and it appears that the U.S. verbal warning had zero influence on the Houthis.
Yesterday, the U.S. Central Command said in a statement a drone was fired from Houthi-controlled areas at 9:30 a.m. "[The drone] was shot down in self-defense by USS LABOON (DDG 59) in international waters of the Southern Red Sea…," the statement added. The attack caused no casualties or damage.
Moreover, an unidentified merchant vessel reported to the U.K. Maritime Trade Organizations that six small crafts were approaching it. The incident took place approximately 50 nautical miles southeast of Mocha, Yemen. The small crafts came within one nautical mile of the merchant vessel. The U.S.-led Coalition forces assisted, and the six small vessels moved safely from the area.
On Thursday, sources told Sheba Intelligence that the joint statement issued by the United States, the United Kingdom, and ten other countries is a final warning to the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group before delivering a military response.
The sources indicated that the U.S., Britain, and other countries are planning to launch a military operation targeting the Houthi command and control headquarters of maritime operations.
However, the warnings have not scared the Houthi group. Today, targeting U.S. warships is a priority for the group, and this has become its agenda after the American forces sank three Houthi boats, killing at least ten crewmen.
The Houthi group now has conditions before it stops hitting the American military equipment and interests in the region. Mahdi Al-Mashat, the Houthi-appointed president, said during a meeting with security and defense officials on Saturday the American attack on the group's boats and the killing of ten of their members on December 31 "will not pass without a strong response and [the Americans] will pay the price in an unprecedented way and will bear the consequences as a result of their foolishness."
According to Al-Mashat, the Americans have an opportunity to remedy the situation by handing over the perpetrators who attacked the Houthi boats "to be tried in the Republic of Yemen. Otherwise, they must wait for the response, which is inevitably coming."
Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said, "The most effective way of avoiding this escalation is not to bomb the Houthis but to secure a cease-fire in Gaza."
"But Biden won't even consider that—instead, he is 'getting ready' for a regional war."
Over 20 attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea have been launched during the past few weeks. Houthis vow their operations will continue regardless of the consequences, and they will stop attacks when the Israeli war on Gaza ceases.
