US weighs strikes on Houthi militants
Source says the plan aims to cripple Yemeni rebels’ ability to target commercial ships
The US and its allies are considering possible military strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen, in a recognition that a newly announced maritime task force meant to protect commercial ships in the Red Sea may not be enough to eliminate the threat to the vital waterway.
Planning is under way for actions intended to cripple the Houthis’ ability to target commercial ships by hitting the militant group at the source, according to four people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified discussing internal deliberations.
They underscored that the US still wants diplomacy to work and has not decided to go ahead.
Even so, one of the people said the Pentagon is preparing to offer US President Joe Biden the possibility of what was described as a “heavy” response to the Iranbacked militants.
Asked about possible military action, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said he would not “telegraph any punches one way or the other”.
The quickening discussions reflect a belief that the US and allies may need to do more to protect commercial trade passing through the Red Sea after a wave of Houthi attacks prompted a number of major companies to divert their vessels around the southern tip of Africa, a lengthier and thus costlier journey.
The multinational task force announced on Monday would expand current US efforts in the Red Sea, which have focused on shooting down incoming missiles and drones when possible.
Strikes on the Houthis in Yemen, where they are based, would be fraught with risks. Among the biggest: the potential for a broader regional conflict – exactly the outcome the Biden administration has sought to avoid after Israel launched its ground campaign against Hamas fighters in the Gaza Strip.
US allies in the region are also wary. Saudi Arabia, which borders Yemen, backs a more measured, diplomatic approach to the rebels because it fears it would become a target of renewed aggression from the Houthis, as the kingdom was before a truce in Yemen’s civil war in early 2022, Bloomberg News has reported.
“The hard thing is, nobody wants to get involved in an openended war in the Middle East,” said Jon Alterman, a senior vice-president at the Centre for International and Strategic Studies.
Attacks would also bring the US closer to confrontation with Iran, which US Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer said recently was providing “significant” military and intelligence support to the Houthis.