USS Carney firing interceptors at missiles and drones launched from Yemen over the Red Sea on October 19. Source: U.S. Army.
The United States and its allies are considering possible strikes against the Houthis (Ansar Allah) in Yemen, Bloomberg reported on December 20.
The Houthis, who control much of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, are a part of the so-called Axis of Resistance that is backed by Iran and opposes Israel.
The group has fired several missiles and drones at the southernmost Israeli city of Eilat since the beginning of the U.S.-backed Israeli war on the Palestinian Gaza Strip. It also assaulted a number of Israeli-owned ships and announced a blockade on all ships heading to Israel.
So far, at least ten ships have been attacked by the Houthis and another was seized and is currently being held with its crew in Yemen.
The U.S. launched Operation Prosperity Guardian to “ensure the safety of maritime traffic” in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb Strait and Gulf of Aden on December 18. The United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain will take part in the operation.
In a statement, the Houthis’ political bureau said that the U.S.-led coalition was meant to support the Israeli war on Gaza and threatens shipping in the Red Sea. It also stressed that the blockade on ships sailing to Israel will continue.
Citing informed sources, Bloomberg reported that planning is underway in the U.S. for actions intended to cripple the Houthis’ ability to target commercial ships by hitting its infrastructure in Yemen.
Over the last few years, the Houthis built, with alleged help from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a large arsenal of offensive weapons, including missiles, drones and remotely-controlled boats that can attack vessels hundreds of kilometers away from Yemen’s shores.
According to Bloomberg, the U.S. still wants diplomacy to work and hasn’t decided to go ahead with strikes against Yemen.
On December 17, American officials told Politico that the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group was moved into the Gulf of Aden so that it is in position to support a potential U.S. response against the Houthis.
The U.S. plans to launch strikes against the Houthis are a recognition that Operation Prosperity Guardian is not enough to end the Houthis’ naval blockade.
So far, a dozen of the world’s largest shipping companies have suspended operations in the Red Sea, which created a serious shipping crisis.
Any move by the U.S. against the Houthis will certainly lead to a serious military confrontation. The Iranian-backed group never hesitated to respond to attacks against its territory in Yemen. Early in November, the group shot down a U.S. combat drone that was flying off Yemen’s Red Coast in a move that demonstrated their resolve.
