Iran was "deeply involved" in planning drone and missile attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea by providing intelligence, the White House said on Friday.
This is the clearest statement yet implicating Iran by the Biden administration in the Red Sea attacks that has threaded softly with Iran, according to critics. Iran has so far not responded to the US statement.
Yemen’s Houthis, who receive military assistance and all types of weapons from Iran began launching attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea from mid-November following Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s call to block Israeli commerce.
Houthis, who say their attacks are in support of Hamas under siege by Israel in Gaza, have forced shippers to change course and take longer routes around the southern tip of Africa.
"We know that Iran was deeply involved in planning the operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea. This is consistent with Iran's long-term materiel support and encouragement of the Houthis' destabilizing actions in the region," White House national security spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said in a statement.
"This is an international challenge that demands collective action," Watson said.
Iran denies involvement in attacks by the Houthis in the Red Sea, but state media praise the Houthi actions, as well as Hamas and attacks by other Iranian proxies against US bases in the region. Apart from the Red Sea, militant groups in Iraq and Syria have launched more than 100 drone and rocket attacks on US interests.
Iranians because they're really calling the shots here."
The US last week announced a naval coalition involving 20 countries aimed at helping safeguard vessels from attacks in the Red Sea. Some of the countries involved have said operations to protect commercial traffic will be as part of existing naval agreements.
However, it is not clear if the naval coalition is a defensive arrangement or will conduct retaliatory attacks to deter the Houthis.
"I am absolutely stunned that we're still sitting there in a defensive mode," said former Vice Chief of Staff of the US Army Gen. Jack Keane in an interview with Fox News on December 15. "To shut these people down, you have to take away their capability to do it... You go after the rockets… You go after their entire command and control system… you go after their entire command and control system… you go after the Iranians because they're really calling the shots here."
On December 16, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan stated, "While the Houthis are pulling the trigger, they're being handed the gun by Iran. And Iran has a responsibility to take steps themselves to cease these attacks." However, no attempt has been made to degrade the Houthis ability to disrupt shipping that is impacting oil prices and disrupting international commerce.
“We have capabilities to sink your fleet, your submarines, your warships,” a top Houthi official said, according to the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim news agency. “The Red Sea will be your graveyard.”