In the past two days, the United States has not been idle, uniting many countries to carry out military strikes against the Houthis in the Red Sea. The United States is drafting plans to intervene directly in the group after a series of attacks in the Red Sea on Israeli-linked cargo ships, disrupting a shipping route that carries one-tenth of the world's life. The Iranian-backed Houthis have announced that they will continue to launch missile and drone strikes in solidarity with the Palestinian people, despite the announcement by the U.S.-led 10-nation coalition that it will send several ** ships to the region. Hours after BP announced the suspension of flights, the UK joined Operation Prosperity Guardian in the United States.
The United States has moved the aircraft carrier Eisenhower to the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Yemen, near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, where the attack took place. After the news broke that the Houthis would retaliate against any country that directly attacked Yemen, a U.S. defense team claimed that the U.S. team has an inherent right to defend itself and can take any action against the Houthis at any time and place. Although some U.S. sides believe that a direct attack on the Houthi rebels is the only way to prevent the closure of shipping lanes, it is believed that this will increase tensions with Iran. There is a question to be aware of --- military spending. Interceptor drones, as well as missiles, cost very high, while Houthi drones cost only a few thousand dollars.
British Prime Minister Sunak is more worried about the Houthi attack, and the British merchant ships also need to be protected, and if there are no further measures, it will have an impact on the UK. As a result, the U.S.-led Red Sea Alliance, which includes the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the Seychelles, and Spain, will bring under one umbrella six ships from these countries already operating in the region. The British Ministry of Defense has already stationed a second ** "Lancaster" in the Persian Gulf, which, if necessary, can be sent to the region.
The U.S. insists on fighting the Houthis and, if military action is to be taken, could target missile and drone launch sites in territory controlled by Iranian-backed groups in northern Yemen. Experts say the Houthis, who have been dismissed by some in the West as a "rabble" for years, have actually become Iranian-backed enemies in the Middle East. The Houthis have been battle-hardened for more than a decade, with Iran's military support, in civil and regional wars. They have been firing missiles at Saudi Arabia for years, and in this area they are increasingly honing their skills with external support, which they clearly see as an opportunity to further consolidate their regional position.
Needless to say, the reason for the fight against the Houthis is that transport routes are blocked. European manufacturers will be under the most pressure as their customers will not be able to afford to be used by tankers carrying large quantities of UK LNG** on the affected routes, including from Qatar, which accounted for 30% of UK gas imports last year. Therefore, an Israeli ceasefire is crucial. An early ceasefire will allow the region's economic and trade relations to resume in an orderly manner.