Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:
The commander of the Fifth Fleet said on Thursday that preventing the flow of missiles, drones, and other weapons and parts from Iran to the Houthis in Yemen is the key to keeping Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Gulf of Aden, and the Red Sea secure for commercial shipping.
Speaking at a Navy League event, Admiral Daryl Caudle said, “We cannot cede this waterway” to the Iran-backed Houthis in what was one of the busiest commercial shipping lanes. Since the attacks began, hundreds of commercial vessels, especially the largest container shipping companies, have opted to take the longer route around Africa to ensure delivery to and from Europe and Asia rather than risk being attacked on the shorter route to the Suez Canal.
Caudle added that French and British naval forces will also be operating in those waters soon.
He said the rules of engagement must reflect this constantly evolving challenge from the Houthis, so that the Navy does not just respond to attacks but acts “on our own time and our own tempo” to prevent them. “We have to work to stay ahead of this.”
Caudle said the Houthis had attacked about 80 commercial vessels in the strait since October 2023.
