The American aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower, the British destroyer HMS Diamond, two Indian destroyers equipped with guided missiles… A fleet is beginning to gather in the Gulf of Aden to respond to the Houthis’ challenge to merchant traffic off the coast of Yemen – and specifically, the strait of Bab al-Mandab – formulated by the Shia militia supported by Iran.
A total of fourteen incidents have been recorded in the Red Sea since November 19. Eight merchantmen were attacked with Houthi missiles, five of which also with drones, while another cargo ship, the Galaxy Leader, linked to an Israeli tycoon, is hijacked. The situation has caused several operating companies to cancel the transit of their ships through the Red Sea in the direction of the Suez Canal to avoid falling into the trap currently represented by Bab al-Mandab, the area chosen by the Houthis for their attacks . It is known, however, that some ships have continued to sail through the Red Sea by turning off their transponders to avoid detection. Last weekend some US and UK ships intercepted fifteen drones launched against ships.
After several days of declarations of intent, the head of the Pentagon, Lloyd Austin, announced yesterday the formation of a naval coalition of a dozen countries to patrol the area, called Operation Prosperity Guardian. While the navies of the US, France, the Emirates, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, for example, were already there, the ten-pack will consist of the UK, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the Seychelles and , according to Washington, also Spain. It is headed, of course, by the USA, and nothing prevents more states from making an appearance, such as India…
It is a maritime trade route of great importance for Europe that is being singularly threatened by an armed political party with a religious basis in a branch of Shiism, Ansarul·lah – or “supporters of God” – better known as the Huthis by the name of their founders, the brothers Hussein (now dead) and Abdul Malik al-Huthi. Although it is equipped with a limited range of weaponry, it should be remembered how in 2008 the activity, with very precarious means, of Somali pirates in the region justified an entire European naval police initiative, Operation Atalanta. In fact, Somali pirates boarded a Maltese-flagged Bulgarian ship on October 15 and took it to its shores.
Two Houthi spokesmen made their position clear yesterday. “Even if the US mobilizes everyone, our military operations will not stop… No matter what the sacrifices are,” said Muhammad al-Bukhaiti on social network X, while the main spokesman of Ansarhul·lah , Muhammad Abdel Salam, insisted on his action in “solidarity with the Palestinian people and against the blockade of Gaza”.
Ansarul·lah (or the Houthis) is part of the so-called Axis of Resistance, sponsored by Iran against Israel and of which Hamas, Hezbollah, in Lebanon, and Iraqi and Syrian Shiite militias are also part. On October 19, it launched missiles and drones towards the Israeli port of Elat, two thousand kilometers away. The projectiles were intercepted by American and Saudi Arabian ships, which shot down one.
Over the days it has become clear that the Houthis’ target is not limited to Israeli interests, but to any ship. But it cannot be guaranteed that they will only act on behalf of the Palestinians, nor that they will not do so at the behest of Iran, which, on the other hand, represents their most efficient actor in exerting pressure on the Gaza crisis.
With the momentum of the Arab springs of 2011, in 2015 the Houthis came to occupy the Yemeni capital, Sanaa. They have received weapons and aid from Iran and Hizbullah, but are more independent than other Axis of Resistance groups. They have their own agenda, which right now calls for signing peace with Saudi Arabia, which tried to defeat them (the Saudis see Yemen as their area of ??influence) since 2015, at the head of an international coalition that had little success.
In April 2022, a truce promoted by the US was imposed. With the country divided into factions and on the verge of survival, the Houthis expect peace to unlock the port of Hodeida and Saudi economic aid. In mid-September, they started direct negotiations in Riyadh – something that meant a lot of recognition for them – apart from other groups and even from the official Yemeni Government. According to some versions, the agreement is very close.
The fear that the Houthis would block the Bab al-Mandab strait probably prevented Israel from responding to their attacks. And so the Red Sea affair was left in the hands of the USA.
