Boats of the Yemeni Coast Guard, loyal to the internationally recognized government, on patrol in the Red Sea, near the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait, December 12, 2023 (Khaled Ziad)
The United States on Tuesday condemned “unprecedented” attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels on merchant ships in the Red Sea and said it was determined to continue them despite the creation of a new multinational maritime security force.
The wave of drone and missile attacks, the most recent of which targeted two ships on Monday, threatens to disrupt global trade flows as major shipping companies cut off passage through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin warned of these attacks, which “threaten” the free movement of goods, a day after he announced the formation of a coalition of 10 countries to put an end to them.
“Secretary Austin condemned the Houthi attacks on international shipping and trade, calling them unprecedented and unacceptable and emphasizing that these attacks threatened the free flow of commerce,” said a statement from Pentagon spokesman General Pat Ryder.
Mr. Austin spoke about the growing threat to shipping in the Red Sea during a virtual meeting with senior officials from 43 countries as well as the European Union and NATO, the text clarifies.
– “Took as a target” –
The head of the Pentagon “called on participants to join the initiatives of the United States and other international initiatives (…) to restore security in the Red Sea and prevent any further aggression by the Houthis,” he continues.
The alliance announced Monday includes the United States, the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain.
But the Iran-backed Houthis have said they are determined to continue their attacks.
“Even if America mobilizes the whole world, our military operations will not stop … no matter what sacrifices it costs us,” Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior Yemeni rebel official, said on the social network
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On Tuesday evening, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, another senior Houthi rebel official, said that “any country” that acts against them will have to reckon with their ships in the Red Sea.
The United Kingdom announced on Tuesday that the destroyer HMS Diamond had joined the new maritime defense force.
“These illegal attacks pose an unacceptable threat to the global economy (…) and risk driving up fuel prices,” said British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps.
Italy also announced it would send the frigate Virgilio Fasan to the Red Sea to join the force.
Spain, which declared its desire to be part of this force, stressed that its decision depends on those of the EU and NATO and that it “will not participate (in the force) unilaterally.”
According to the Pentagon, the Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks against 10 commercial vessels with ties to more than 35 countries. In November they captured the Galaxy Leader and took its 25 crew members hostage. The ship and its crew are still in Yemen.
– “Hard to catch” –
Insurance prices soared, prompting major shipping companies to reroute their ships around the southern tip of Africa, even though the much longer journey added fuel costs.
Maersk said on Tuesday that all ships scheduled to transit the Red Sea would now be routed around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope.
According to the Danish shipowner, 20 ships are affected, half waiting east of the Gulf of Aden and the rest south of Suez in the Red Sea or north of Suez in the Mediterranean.
The Red Sea is a “sea highway” that connects the Mediterranean with the Indian Ocean and thus Europe with Asia. Around 20,000 ships pass through the Suez Canal each year, another entry and exit point for ships traveling through the Red Sea.
According to analysts, the naval force announced by Washington will be ineffective.
“The Houthis have a significant arsenal of drones and missiles (…) and some will be difficult to intercept,” Andreas Krieg, a professor at King's College London, told AFP.
Torbjorn Soltvedt of risk analysis firm Verisk Maplecroft believes the Houthis also have “the ability to use anti-ship mines and conduct coordinated operations using boats and helicopters.”
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