The US has launched the latest strikes against the Houthi anti-ship missiles that targeted the Red Sea on Thursday (January 18), as global trade was disrupted amid growing tensions in the region’s sea lanes. According to the US military, the two anti-ship missiles targeted in the strikes were being prepared by Yemen’s Houthis for firing into the Red Sea and deemed “an imminent threat” to shipping and U.S. Navy vessels in the region.

Attacks by the Iran-allied Houthi militia on ships in and around the Red Sea since November last year have impacted the trade between Asia and Europe while also blowing an alarm to the major powers as war between Israel and Hamas escalates in Gaza.

In the second attack this week on a US-operated vessel in the region, the Genco Picardy came under attack in the Gulf of Aden late on Wednesday. The Indian Navy responded to a drone attack by Houthis on Marshall Islands-flagged US-owned ship MV Genco Picardy, which had 22 crew members, including nine Indians, in the Gulf of Aden. The Navy rescued the crew safely.

The Houthis said that they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians and have threatened to target US ships in response to American and British strikes on the group’s positions.

According to the security and military experts, US President Joe Biden’s strategy is a blend of limited military strikes and sanctions, which appears to be aimed at preventing a wider Middle East conflict even as Washington seeks to punish the Houthis.

Biden on Thursday acknowledged that the strikes had not halted attacks by the militants but said the U.S. military response would continue.

“Are they stopping the Houthis? No. Are they gonna continue? Yes,” Biden told reporters aboard Air Force One.

US relists Houthis as terrorists

The Houthi attack on Genco Picardy prompted the US to officially relist the Houthi rebels on its list of specially designated global terrorists. US officials said the “Specially Designated Global Terrorist” (SDGT) designation, which entails harsh sanctions for the Iran-backed group, was aimed at cutting off funding and weapons the Houthis have used to attack or hijack ships in vital Red Sea shipping lanes. “This designation is an important tool to impede terrorist funding to the Houthis, further restrict their access to financial markets, and hold them accountable for their actions,” White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement.

The US also fired another wave of ship and submarine-launched missile strikes against Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen on Wednesday, marking the fourth time it has directly targeted the group as violence that arose in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war threatens to spill over the Middle East. According to the US Central Command, the military struck 14 Iran-backed Houthi missiles “that were loaded to be fired in Houthi controlled areas” in Yemen.

Despite sanctions and military attacks, the Houthi rebels have remained undeterred in their campaign to attack commercial and military ships. The relisting of Houthis as terrorists came as US President Joe Biden’s administration issued “carve-outs” aimed at avoiding an impact on Yemen’s population, which relies on food imports and humanitarian aid, and pledged to conduct outreach to groups including aid agencies before the designation comes into effect in 30 days.

It is important to note that the Houthis were added to two lists designating them as terrorists in 2020 during the administration of former President Donald Trump, a day before his term ended. The decision sparked concern from the UN, aid groups and American lawmakers who said the sanctions would disrupt the flow of food, fuel and other commodities to Yemen.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken revoked the designations days after taking office in 2021, citing concerns sanctions would disrupt flows of vital humanitarian goods to Yemen. On Wednesday, even though Houthis were relisted as an SDGT group, they were not listed as a “foreign terrorist organisation”, which includes stricter prohibitions on providing material support to those on the list and would mean automatic travel bans.

Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam on Wednesday told Reuters that the designation would not affect operations, which the group says are in support of the Palestinians and target Israeli ships or ships heading to Israel. 

Middle East crisis unravels

The Houthis’ campaign has disrupted global commerce, stoked fears of inflation and deepened concern that fallout from the Israel-Hamas war could destabilize the Middle East. The US has also strongly warned Iran to cease providing weapons to the Houthis.

There have been several incidents before the Wednesday attack on Houthi infrastructure. The US launched a third attack against Yemen-based Houthi rebels on Tuesday by hitting four anti-ship missiles in a Houthi-controlled part of the country after the Iran-backed group struck a Greek-owned vessel in the Red Sea. The Greek-owned vessel, the Zografia, was sailing from Vietnam to Israel with 24 crew on board and was out of cargo when attacked, according to sources.

The attacks by the US and Houthis follow after the group struck a US-owned ship on Monday near Yemen’s coast in the Gulf of Aden. The attack against the MV Gibraltar Eagle ship marked the first time that the Houthis have successfully struck a US-owned or operated ship. The US Central Command said that the vessel, a Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier owned and operated by the US-based Eagle Bulk, suffered no injuries or any significant damage.

The Iran-aligned Houthi group has threatened to expand the range of targets of its attacks in the Red Sea – which it says are a response to Israel’s bombardment of Gaza – to include US ships in response to American and British strikes on its sites in Yemen. This came after the US led a massive attack on the Houthis on Friday, targeting 60 targets in 28 locations.

(With Reuters inputs)

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