New naval movements in the Middle East point to a possible US strike against the Iran-backed Houthis, as the group keeps on targeting vessels in the Red Sea.
Reports emerged Saturday that the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group has moved from the Persian Gulf into the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Yemen where the Houthis operate. The move could also be a measure of deterrence against the Houthis who have crippled international shipping with their daily attacks against commercial vessels.
The Biden administration has so far refused to strike back at Houthis, fearing, perhaps, that the Iranian regime would further unleash its proxies in the region and drag the US into a costly, uncertain, and likely unpopular war thousands of miles from home
But the Houthis' increasingly brazen operations seem to be shifting opinions at the White House and the Pentagon.
Politico quoted two unnamed Pentagon officials Saturday as saying that “top Biden administration officials are actively weighing options to strike back at Houthis in Yemen.” The same source suggested that the US military “has also provided options to commanders to strike the Houthis.”
Taking advantage of US hesitation, the Houthis have managed to disrupt shipping in the Red Sea with regular (and escalating) attacks on commercial vessels. Four of the world’s five largest shipping companies have halted their traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb Straits in the past two days.
Many fear that a prolonged halt in shipping in the Red Sea would affect the global economy, by driving up costs and re-igniting inflation, while disrupting supplies.
Currently, 12% of global trade passes through the Red Sea, according to a statement by the International Chamber of Shipping –which calls on “nations with influence in the region to stop the Houthis from attacking sailors and ships.”
The Biden administration has repeatedly warned the Houthis that they would not be spared if provocation continues. But so far the group has only escalated their operations.
On Saturday, the Pentagon confirmed that a US warship in the Red Sea had foiled a mass kamikaze drone attack by Houthi drones.
“USS Carney successfully engaged 14 unmanned aerial systems (UAS) launched as a drone wave from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen,” read the Pentagon statement. “The UAS were assessed to be one-way attack drones and were shot down with no damage to ships in the area or reported injuries.”
A day before, two giants of shipping and logistics (Moller-Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd) announced they were pausing all journeys through the Red Sea, after Houthi attacks on their vessels.
Houthis say they would continue their operations as long as Israel continues its onslaught against Gaza. Initially they announced that their aim is to stop commercial ships headed to Israel, but later the threatened all vessels.
"While the Houthis are pulling the trigger, they're being handed the gun by Iran,” said White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan on Friday. “And Iran has a responsibility to it to take steps themselves to cease these attacks.”.
he Islamic Republic officials, however, have repeatedly affirmed their support for Yemen Houthis and have even threatened the US and its allies with "extraordinary problems" if they create a task force, as reported widely Friday.
Senator Bill Hagerty, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Saturday decried Biden’s failure in dealing with the crisis. “Iran & the Houthis are increasing with impunity the dangers to commercial shipping through the Middle East,” he posted on X.