The longer Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea are allowed to continue, the greater is risk of escalation. Global trade flows are being disrupted and the threat to them could get worse if action in not taken.
There is an opportunity to stop the attacks now and deter the firing of missiles toward vessels in the future. But it will take more than the establishment a new maritime task force and sending it out on patrol.
Here, writing for Al Majalla, two senior US naval former officers –– Vice Admiral (Ret.) Kevin Donegan and Lieutenant General (Ret.) Sam Mundy –– round up what is happening, and suggest in detail what can be done about it.
Current clashes
Iranian-backed Houthis have launched almost daily swarms of missiles and drones at commercial ships in the Red Sea, making direct hits and incapacitating multiple commercial ships.
Recently, the Houthi leadership publicly announced that they will continue to attack all ships int the Red Sea that it views as supporting Israel, due to the war in Gaza. As a result, energy multinational BP has paused all Red Sea transits and other shipping firms, including Danish giant Maersk, have begun diverting shipments around the Cape of Good Hope, off South Africa, which adds over seven days to voyages, costing millions of dollars more.
Read more: Houthi attacks on global shipping show widening of Gaza war
US Navy vessels, and those of other nations, are being forced to employ self-defence weapons to counter the Houthi attacks almost daily. Soon the Houthis may increase the pressure by using drone boats and naval mines in the attacks. They have used both in recent years against Saudi ships and infrastructure.
The US Navy is immensely capable, but no defence can guarantee success against this volume and persistence of attacks, particularly across the long expanse of the Red Sea. Left unabated, there is a high risk that one of these attacks will make it past US defensive systems and result in significant loss of life or further restriction of the free flow of commerce through a vital part of the world.