The Houthis' television station reported “a series” of attacks in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. Nothing is known about possible victims. The US military command, Central Command, said it was a “follow-up operation on a specific military target associated with the January 12 attacks”. The aim is to prevent the Houthi movement from attacking seagoing vessels, including merchant vessels in the Red Sea.
The United States and allies have already struck nearly 30 military sites belonging to the Shiite Houthis as of Friday night, the Pentagon said. The assessment has not yet been completed. But he knew the rebels' capacity for further attacks had been weakened, said U.S. Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims.
Russia condemns US military attack
At the UN Security Council on Saturday night, Russia condemned this military attack on Houthi positions. The US and its allies are “personally” contributing to the Gaza war between Israel and the Islamist Hamas spreading throughout the region, Russian representative Vasily Nebenzya said, according to Russian news agency TASS. Iran also strongly condemned the attacks.
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British UN Ambassador Barbara Woodward said her country's armed forces had taken “limited, necessary and appropriate measures in self-defence”. No ship in the Red Sea is safe, added US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
US President Joe Biden had already announced new attacks against the Houthis on Friday if they did not stop attacks on ships in the Red Sea. The US government also imposed new sanctions. According to the US Treasury Department, the measures target four merchant ships and two companies based in Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates, which the US accuses of providing the Houthis with money from the sale and shipment of Iranian goods.
Houthis threaten retaliation
After the first attacks by the US and allies, Houthi rebels threatened retaliation and new attacks on Israeli-linked merchant ships in the Red Sea. According to Washington, they have already fired an anti-ship missile. The Houthis also repeatedly and directly attack Israel, a good 2,000 kilometers away, with drones and rockets. They consider themselves part of the “Axis of Resistance” directed against Israel and supported by Iran. This also includes Hamas and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
EU foreign ministers want to discuss possible military participation in the US initiative to ensure the safety of merchant shipping in the Red Sea on January 22. Initial proposals drawn up by diplomats include sending warships and airborne early warning systems to the conflict area.
Economic consequences
Large shipping companies increasingly avoid the important Red Sea trade route. Ships have to take a detour, which increases prices, said head of the Austrian Institute for Economic Research (WIFO), Gabriel Felbermayr, on ZIB1 on Friday evening. Clothes and shoes can be around five percent more expensive. However, it is still unclear to what extent the higher transport costs will actually be passed on to end customers.
More expensive shipping due to deviations
The Red Sea towards the Suez Canal is one of the most important shipping routes in the world. Shipping companies increasingly avoid this route and send their ships via the African continent. This lengthens transportation and makes shipping more expensive.
Citing information from the European External Action Service (EEAS), “Welt am Sonntag” reported that the economic damage caused by the Houthis' ongoing attacks due to necessary diversions and rising energy costs and disruptions in supply chains amount to 360 million euros. per hour. Some car manufacturers, including Volvo and Tesla, are already having to suspend production due to gaps in the supply chain.