Yemen’s Houthis Vow More Attacks on Ships in Red Sea Despite US Naval Force

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Yemen’s Houthi rebels vowed to continue targeting ships in the Red Sea despite a US move to compile an international naval task force to protect maritime trade in one of the world’s most important waterways.

The Iran-backed group also warned Washington it’s willing to retaliate if the US opts for military attacks on Houthi bases.

“We’re seeking to develop our military capabilities to overcome any obstacles and reach our targets,” Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said in a televised speech on Wednesday. If the US attacks Yemen, “we will target it” by firing missile and drones at US battleships and other vessels, he added.

Shipping Insurance for Red Sea Transit Soars After Mounting Houthi Attacks

The Houthis have looked to disrupt the Red Sea voyages of several fuel tankers and cargo ships, ostensibly in support of the Hamas militant group in its war against Israel. They have stepped up assaults in the past week, roiling shipping markets and helping push up oil prices. Over the weekend, the US and UK navies shot down 15 drones launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.

The US is considering military action against the Houthis, though still prefers a diplomatic solution, Bloomberg has reported. Washington announced Monday it’s working with Western and Arab allies to bolster a maritime protection force that’s meant to secure ships navigating the Red Sea, which carries nearly 12% of global trade.

More than 100 container ships are now taking the long route around Africa to avoid violence, creating extra costs and delays, according to Swiss logistics giant Kuehne+Nagel International AG.

The Houthi attacks “do not hurt international navigation” but only look to harm Israel, the rebel group’s leader claimed. They’ve hijacked one vessel and tried to seize others, while firing missiles at several more. Last week, a senior commander threatened to start sinking ships.

Transportation firms though are increasingly concerned vessels related to any country are fair game. On Monday, oil and gas giant BP Plc said it will pause all shipments through the Red Sea.

MSC Mediterranean Shipping Co., the world’s largest container line, and A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S made similar moves days before. That means their ships will have to go around southern Africa instead of through the Suez Canal, adding thousands of miles to voyages.

Saudi Arabia supports a measured approach to the crisis to prevent the Houthis becoming more aggressive, a member of the Saudi team negotiating with the Yemeni group has said. That could imperil a fragile truce in Yemen’s war and scupper the kingdom’s attempt to reach a permanent cease-fire, the person said.

The Houthis have repeatedly proven their ability to disrupt or damage crucial infrastructure in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The most devastating attack they’ve claimed came in 2019, when they briefly knocked out half of Saudi Arabia’s oil production with a drone strike on a crude-processing plant. Since the truce with the Saudis in early 2022, they’ve largely refrained from firing drones and missiles against regional neighbors.

The US blames Iran for enabling the Houthis to attack ships, which the Islamic Republic denies. The Houthis have received funding and training from Tehran over the past eight years. They are part of the country’s “axis of resistance” to the US and Israel along with Hamas, Lebanon-based Hezbollah and other groups.

Unless the US bombs the Houthis’ missile launch sites, radars, airfields and boats, its efforts to combat the threat to shipping won’t be effective, said Riad Kahwaji, founder of INEGMA, a Dubai-based security research group.

“If it’s only about escorting ships, it’s going to have very limited effectiveness, because you’re going to need to have a destroyer or frigate accompany every single ship going through in either direction,” he said.

Photograph: Houthi fighters approach the Galaxy Leader in the Red Sea on Nov. 20, 2023. (Houthi Media Center via Getty)

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