Unmasking the Architects of the Naval Insurgency

NYN| Reports and Analyses 

Western experts and analysts have warned that the control of the Bab al-Mandeb Strait by Sanaa forces represents a direct threat to American and Israeli interests, following Washington’s failure to establish an effective deterrence strategy despite airstrikes and high operational costs.

In a report published Sunday, The New York Sun stated that the recent attacks targeting the vessels Magic Seas and Eternity C reflect a shift in both capability and intent—signaling a qualitative escalation that is raising concern in Western capitals.

The newspaper quoted Behnam Ben Taleblu, Director of the Iran Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, as saying that the Houthis no longer pay heed to traditional deterrence methods. He added that the failure of airstrikes has only reinforced their confidence in the effectiveness of their strategy.

The report emphasized that growing risks in the Red Sea have caused a sharp increase in insurance premiums, making passage through the maritime corridors more costly and challenging—especially given the Houthis’ (Ansar Allah’s) upper hand in what it described as an “asymmetric game.”

In this context, Edmund Fitton-Brown, former British ambassador to Yemen, stated that shipping companies are naturally risk-averse, and even minimal danger is enough to deter them from the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb. He added that Western forces are ill-prepared to counter the Houthis’ tactics.

The report used a striking term, describing Sanaa’s forces as having become the “engineers of a modern naval insurgency”, at a time when airstrikes have failed to break their strength or disrupt their operations.

Rose Kalanick, Director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Defense Priorities, stressed that the root solution lies in ending the war on Gaza. She argued that the Yemeni attacks are a direct response to Israeli aggression and a form of political pressure that is growing more effective with time.