Planning is under way for actions intended to cripple the Houthis’ ability to target commercial ships in the Red Sea by hitting the militant group in Yemen, US sources say.
The US and its allies are considering possible military strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen, in a recognition that a newly announced maritime task force meant to protect commercial ships in the Red Sea may not be enough to eliminate the threat to the vital waterway.
Planning is under way for actions intended to cripple the Houthis’ ability to target commercial ships by hitting the militant group at the source, according to four people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified discussing internal deliberations.
They underscored that the US still wants diplomacy to work and hasn’t decided to go ahead.
Even so, one of the people said the Pentagon is preparing to offer US President Joe Biden the possibility of what was described as a “heavy” response to the Iran-backed militants.
Asked Tuesday about possible military action, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said he wouldn’t “telegraph any punches one way or the other”.
The quickening discussions reflect a belief that the US and allies may need to do more to protect commercial trade passing through the Red Sea after a wave of Houthi attacks prompted a number of major companies to reroute their vessels around the southern tip of Africa, a lengthier and thus costlier journey.
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The multinational task force announced on Monday would expand current US efforts in the Red Sea, which have focused on shooting down incoming missiles and drones when possible and coming to the aid of ships that are hit.
Strikes on the Houthis in Yemen, where they are based, would be fraught with risks. Among the biggest: the potential for a broader regional conflict – exactly the outcome the Biden administration has sought to avoid after Israel launched its ground campaign against Hamas fighters in the Gaza Strip in response to the group’s October 7 attack in southern Israel.
