According to the New York Times on January 10, the United States and its allies are considering how to prevent attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea. Earlier, the United States and the United Kingdom said on the 10th that the navies of the two countries had intercepted the largest wave of drone and missile attacks launched from Houthi-controlled areas to date.
According to reports, U.S. Secretary of State Blinken, who is visiting the Middle East, warned on the 10th that these militants based in Yemen will face consequences. At the same time, he is still trying to prevent the conflict from intensifying.
Speaking at a news conference in Manama, Bahrain's capital, Blinken said: "What I can tell you is that, as we and many other countries have demonstrated, there will be consequences for the Houthis' actions." But he declined to elaborate on what Biden was considering in response.
British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps delivered a similar message, the report said. He hinted at further action, and said that the Houthi attack on the 9th was the largest attack carried out by the group since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
Shapps said to Britain**: "This cannot continue, nor can it be allowed to continue. If this doesn't stop, then [we] will take action." So, the simplest response is, 'Wait and see.'" ”
A spokesman for Charles Brown, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said in a statement that Brown spoke with British Defense Staff Chief Tony Radakin on the 10th about "the Houthis' continued illegal attacks on merchant ships (in the Red Sea)."
According to the report, the Pentagon has developed plans to strike missile and drone bases on the territory of Yemen and the speedboat anchorages of the Houthis.
According to Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao newspaper on January 11, the United States and its allies are considering what measures to take in retaliation for Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea. They have two factors to consider, on the one hand, to curb the aggressive actions of the Houthis, and on the other hand, to prevent regional conflicts from spreading into broader wars in the Middle East.
Britain believes that strikes against the Houthis should be concentrated at sea, not in Yemen, to avoid an escalation of the fighting, according to a British source**.
According to other people familiar with the matter, although Saudi Arabia** wants to stop the Houthis from attacking, they have also expressed their concern to the United States and other countries about any military operation in Yemen. (Compiled by Qiu Fang).