US Braces for High-Stakes Decisions Over Houthi Sea Strikes
The US and its allies have weighed striking Yemen’s Houthi militants after telling them to either halt their attacks on ships in the Red Sea or face unspecified action.
Washington and a dozen nations this week warned the Iran-backed Houthis would “bear the responsibility of the consequences” if they persisted with their attacks in the crucial maritime trade artery. Several military and naval experts interviewed by Bloomberg have interpreted this as a threat of imminent strikes against the group, though such a move runs the risk of making matters worse, so more limited action is also a possibility.
Challenges include the potential for further regional instability, with tensions already high due to Israel’s war against Hamas — another group backed by Iran. US President Joe Biden must also consider the effect of conflict during an election year.
The US may also rely on diplomacy with Biden’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Tim Lenderking, traveling to the Middle East next week to join Secretary of State Antony Blinken on his tour.
Lenderking said while there is “no tolerance” for the ship attacks that have created “a climate of alarm” globally, the Houthis still have a chance to opt for the “wisest course” of ending violence in the Red Sea and focusing on the needs of Yemeni people. He spoke to Qatar-based Al-Jazeera news channel on Friday.
Bloomberg
