Pentagon officials have prepared detailed plans to attack Houthi bases in Yemen, the New York Times reported on Monday. The plan includes strikes on missile and drone bases, and facilities housing fast boats like those used to attack the Maersk container vessel on Sunday, when Houthi forces attempted to board and take control of the ship.
Senior officials in the administration are concerned that carrying out the strikes could inadvertently benefit Iran, while also risking a delicate truce between Yemen and Saudi Arabia, the report says.
Retired Fifth Fleet commander Vice Adm. Kevin Donegan warns the New York Times, however, that if the US doesn’t respond to the threat posed by the Houthis to US military vessels and personnel, it invites more attacks as enemy groups start believing that “attacking a US ship carries a low risk of retaliation.”
For weeks, the waterway has been the scene of attacks by the Houthis, who said they would block Israeli ships in support of Gaza. However, many attacks have included non-Israeli ships, prompting major shipping companies to divert their vessels to alternative routes.
The Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden are vital maritime routes, with about 12 per cent of annual global trade moving through the region.
