2023-12-23 23:37:00
The US has tightened its tone towards Iran in view of the Yemeni Houthis’ attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea. “We know that Iran was significantly involved in planning operations against merchant ships in the Red Sea,” said National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson on Friday. Washington has “no reason to believe that Iran is trying to dissuade the Houthis from this reckless behavior.”
According to US intelligence released by the White House, Tehran has provided the Houthis with drones and missiles as well as tactical intelligence. Visual analysis showed a nearly identical match between Iranian drones and missiles launched by the Houthis, the White House said. In addition, the Houthis are dependent on the maritime surveillance systems provided by Iran.
In addition, the tactical information provided by Iran was “crucial” to the Houthi attacks on merchant ships that began in November, Watson said.
Newly recruited soldiers march in Yemen during a parade in support of the people of the Gaza Strip. (archive image)
IMAGO/ZUMA Wire
Since the beginning of the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas, the Iran-aligned Houthis have repeatedly fired drones and rockets at Israel and most recently attacked ships in the Red Sea several times. According to the US Department of Defense, the Houthi rebels launched more than 100 attacks with drones and missiles on a total of ten merchant ships.
The Red Sea and the Suez Canal are central trade routes for world trade; around 20,000 ships pass through the Suez Canal every year. Yemen is located on the Bab-al-Mandeb Strait between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The wave of Houthi attacks on container ships has caused many freighters to avoid sailing through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea. In recent days, several shipping companies have announced that they will be suspending trips through the strait.
To protect merchant shipping, the US announced earlier this week that it was forming an international military coalition, which 20 countries have now joined. Washington also increased its military presence with the aircraft carrier “USS Dwight D. Eisenhower” in the Gulf of Aden. According to multiple media reports, President Joe Biden’s administration is considering military strikes if attacks on the ships continue. Militia leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi threatened on Wednesday to retaliate against US attacks.
Houthis “the weakest link” to Tehran
It is not yet clear to what extent the Houthis are acting on behalf of Tehran. Of all the pro-Iranian groups in the region, including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have “the weakest connection” to Tehran, diplomatic sources said.
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