U.S. Media: Trump Unlikely to Stop Houthis from Blocking the Red Sea
NYN | Reports and analyses
An American newspaper reported that the Houthis deny last week’s reports suggesting they would halt operations in the Red Sea and lift the blockade following Trump’s election. On Sunday, they launched a ballistic missile targeting central Israel, boasting about hitting a strategic military target.
According to The New York Sun, one of Trump’s potential priorities could be to end the Houthis’ stranglehold on maritime navigation in the Red Sea. The paper notes that the scale of attacks from the Sanaa government is unprecedented since World War II.
Columnist Benny Avni wrote, “I can’t see Trump accepting a Red Sea blockade with all the resulting costs, and if he wants to lower prices, this issue must be resolved.”
Although U.S. forces have conducted airstrikes on Yemen and Israel has attacked the Hodeidah port twice, the Houthis remain undeterred. Saudi Arabia, unable to defeat the Houthis in the war that began in 2015, worries about renewed attacks on its energy facilities.
Like Biden, Trump has expressed interest in Middle East stability, with Riyadh seen as a key player in achieving this. Meanwhile, Iran opposes regional rapprochement centered around Saudi Arabia.
New Explosions in the Red Sea
In recent updates, foreign media reported multiple explosions near a vessel traveling through the Red Sea on Tuesday. The ship did not immediately report any damage.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center stated that a ship approximately 130 kilometers (80 miles) southwest of Hodeidah reported the attack. No injuries were reported, and the vessel continued its journey.
Meanwhile, Sanaa forces announced two major military operations in the Red and Arabian seas, each lasting eight hours and successfully achieving their objectives. The first operation reportedly targeted the U.S. aircraft carrier Abraham in the Arabian Sea using cruise missiles and drones, while the second operation targeted two U.S. destroyers in the Red Sea with similar weapons.
In a military statement, Sanaa forces held Washington and London responsible for turning the Red Sea into a military tension zone and warned of the implications for navigation.
Sanaa forces stated that attacks will continue as long as the war and blockade on Gaza persist, with these actions halving commercial shipping traffic in the region.
According to the Associated Press, Houthis have targeted over 90 commercial vessels with missiles and drones since the Gaza war began. The latest maritime attack occurred on October 28, targeting the Motaro, a Liberian-flagged bulk carrier.
Last month, a UN Security Council expert panel on Yemen reported that the Sanaa government had been collecting illegal fees from a few shipping agencies in exchange for safe passage through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The team estimated these fees generated around $180 million per month, though they noted they could not verify the information.
