The United States** reacted strongly to the Houthi activities in the Red Sea region, taking tough action on the grounds of defending its own interests. Despite the Houthis' display of formidable combat, they have not shown weakness and have publicly stated that they will be at war with the United States and its allies, and that Israeli security is involved. In addition, COSCO Shipping's decision to dock has once again raised concerns in Israel. Since mid-November, the Houthis have announced that they will launch attacks on Israeli-linked vessels, and have continued to carry out military strikes against "Israeli-related vessels", with several vessels attacked or seized. The most recent incident was an attack on a chemical and oil carrier called the Atlantic Swan and a Mediterranean Shipping Company vessel at the southern end of the Red Sea. The U.S. carried out *** strikes on Houthi vessels, killing 10 crew members. This incident shocked the international community, because it was the first time since the outbreak of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict that the US military and the Houthis had engaged in a head-to-head fire, and it also marked that the United States officially sided with Israel and became a direct participant in the conflict. Prior to this, the Houthis had warned the United States that if they were attacked by the United States, they would carry out missile and drone counterattacks against US ships and other targets in the Gulf region.
The prevailing view is that the Houthis may be temporarily calmed down after this incident. However, the Houthis have declared that ships of any country participating in the US escort mission will be a reasonable target, and they do not flinch in the slightest. In the past, Houthi attacks have been limited to targeting Israel and ships bound for it, but now their actions have escalated to a more aggressive level. Earlier, the US Secretary of Defense announced that more than 20 countries have joined the Red Sea Alliance, and 13 of them have made clear statements about the Houthis, including the United States, Australia, Canada and Germany, among others. This means that the best strategy for merchant ships in these countries to ensure their safety is to take a detour, as the angry Houthis could retaliate at any time, and if it did, it would be disastrous. After the Houthis announced their position, a number of transport companies, including MSC, CMA CGM, Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd, made decisions to stop shipments to Israel. Freighters change course, and the Red Sea route is in jeopardy. In just one week, more than 300 ships chose to make a detour. At the same time, Netanyahu is considering closing several ** ministries to support military spending in the Gaza Strip. The USS Carney has entered the Red Sea through the Suez Canal.
However, for China, although it has not participated in U.S. escort operations, the Houthis have praised China's mediation efforts in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, so it is unlikely that China will be attacked. Still, the passage of ships at sea is not limited to China, and there is still a risk of being shot by mistake. Faced with such potentially dangerous situations, the Chinese shipping giant COSCO has decided not to call at Israeli ports anymore. The group controls 52% shipping capacity, this decision will seriously affect Israel's ** exchanges with the Far East. Therefore, at the moment for Israel, it faces a major problem: if all ships are unable to dock in Israel, then Israel's economy and ** will suffer a serious blow. Europe is Israel's largest export market and second largest import**. If European ships are unable to reach Israel, it will be difficult for Israeli exports to reach Europe, and imports will be reduced, resulting in supply-demand imbalances and prices**. More importantly, the Red Sea is an important shipping route that transports oil from the Middle East to Europe, Asia and North America, and accounts for about 12% of the world's total offshore oil**.
However, the United States, which was the first to shoot, is taking advantage of the opportunity to make a profit, calling for European ships to import America** and promising to send the U.S. Navy to escort the entire escort so that it can return in just two to four weeks. As the situation heats up, U.S. exports will remain above 5 million barrels per day in the coming weeks, with a good chance of breaking the all-time record. In Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, Yemen's Houthi rebels held a large-scale military parade. The Houthis are more economically and militarily powerful than Hamas or other Middle Eastern and African organizations, and are among the richest and most powerful non-state actors in the Middle East. The Houthis have a large contingent of soldiers, a variety of ** types, a large number of ** reserves, and have accumulated many years of combat experience, especially in the field of air defense. Therefore, if Israel and the United States choose to clash head-on, the cost will be enormous. In response to this situation, the United States has taken the initiative to create a joint maritime fleet of more than a dozen countries, designed to counter the Houthis. However, neither escort missions nor strike operations have achieved the desired results, and it is difficult to completely weaken the Houthis. At the same time, Israel faces international humanitarian accusations and must avoid fighting on two fronts at the same time, subjecting it to additional economic pressure.
Therefore, in order to reduce tension in the Red Sea region, it is necessary to return to the essence of the problem, namely, to reach an agreement on a lasting ceasefire and the provision of humanitarian assistance in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible. Otherwise, Israel's situation will not improve.