US Weighs Stepping up Fight Against Houthis
Sudan Events – Sumaya Sayed
The US and the UK are exploring ways to step up their campaign against Houthi militants in Yemen without provoking a broader war, with a focus on targeting Iranian resupplies and launching more aggressive pre-emptive strikes, people familiar with the matter said.
The proposals could mark an escalation in the allied effort to end the chaos in the Red Sea, which handled about 12 percent of global trade before the Houthis began targeting commercial ships in response to Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip. The Houthi attacks has led to higher insurance costs and provoked fears of fresh inflationary pressure as ships take a longer and costlier route around the southern tip of Africa.
The risk is that more aggressive action will put the US in direct conflict with Iran and provoke the sort of regional conflagration that President Joe Biden says he wants to avoid.
But the considerations stem from a recognition that a series of US and UK strikes against the Houthis so far hasn’t deterred the group or degraded its ability to target commercial shipping. In fact, the Houthis have vowed to step up their attacks in the week since the allies began targeting them.
People familiar with the US stance say that the leadership in Iran may have overextended itself with its support for the Houthis along with launching attacks in Pakistan and Iraq, and may not respond to further escalation.
That’s coupled with a growing fear that the Red Sea turmoil may go on longer than initially expected. Since mid-November, at least 16 ships have suffered direct strikes by Houthi drones or missiles, according to data from intelligence firm Ambrey Analytics.
