Thursday Briefing

U.S. and Britain shot down Houthi attack in Red Sea

U.S. and British warships intercepted 21 drones and missiles fired on Tuesday from areas of Yemen controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia, officials said. The U.S. and its allies are now weighing how to shut down other attacks against commercial ships in the Red Sea.

The Houthi attacks, in solidarity with Hamas in its war against Israel, have forced the world’s largest shipping companies to reroute vessels away from the Red Sea, creating delays and extra costs felt worldwide through higher prices for oil and other imported goods.

The Biden administration and a number of allies said last week that they would hold the Houthis responsible for the attacks, a warning that suggested the government may be considering retaliatory strikes on Houthi territory in Yemen, military officials said. Rather than back off, the Houthis appear to have stepped up their attacks.

Context: So far, the U.S. has held back from hitting Houthi bases in Yemen, in large part to avoid undermining a fragile truce in Yemen’s civil war. Pentagon officials have drawn up plans for striking bases in Yemen and facilities where boats used to attack ships appear to be moored, and London is also considering military action.