Is the United States ready to declare war against Iranian-backed Houthi militants? Since launching Operation Prosperity Guardian in December, issues have intensified for the U.S. and its allies in the Red Sea.
Houthi rebels carried out another attack on Thursday, Jan. 4, employing an unmanned surface vessel to target U.S. Navy and commercial vessels.
The U.S. Navy’s Vice Adm. Brad Cooper stated that the attack, detonating within international shipping lanes, was clearly intended to cause harm. This incident follows a warning issued by the U.S. and 43 other countries to the Houthis, urging an immediate end to illegal attacks.
The Houthis — demonstrating solidarity with Hamas terrorists in their conflict with Israel — have launched over two dozen attacks on shipping and naval vessels in the Red Sea since November.
In late December, Houthi rebels unsuccessfully used speed boats and missiles to attack a ship operated by Danish shipping company Maersk. The U.S. Navy’s deployment of helicopters equipped with machine guns thwarted the attack, sinking three Houthi boats and killing 10 rebels.
Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State, condemned the Houthi attacks as unacceptable, emphasizing the threat to commercial interests, ship crews, regional and global economies.
“The Houthi attacks are unacceptable,” Miller said. “And they threaten, not just the direct commercial interests that are involved, the ship and the crews on those ships, but also, the regional economy and the world economy. When you see attacks on commercial shipping, a great deal of which goes through the Red Sea, and a great deal of which has been diverted now to longer and more costly routes.”
Approximately 12% of global trade and 30% of the world’s container shipping pass through the Red Sea, prompting Maersk to indefinitely suspend operations in the region, redirecting ships around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope.
This rerouting adds two to four weeks to round-trip voyages, leading to delays in delivering goods for spring and summer like clothing, patio furniture, and home and garden products. As a result, consumers can expect increased costs for goods. With Maersk’s redirection and the longer travel time, the recovery and reloading of ships in Asia will also be prolonged.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken will embark on his fourth trip to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas war began in October. Blinken will focus on de-escalating the conflict, freeing hostages held by Hamas, and providing humanitarian aid to Gaza.
