In US Middle East policy — as terrible as Israel’s war against Gaza is right now — there isn’t a more urgent priority than addressing the threat posed by the Houthis to maritime security.
This Iran-backed rebel group, which the world has chosen to ignore since the cessation of hostilities in Yemen’s civil war in April 2022 despite it still being a menace to regional security, has managed to challenge a core and enduring US interest in the region – freedom of commerce and navigation.
Now, the question is: how should Washington respond to the Houthis’ attacks against commercial ships in the Red Sea?
I will lay out four options, some of which may not be mutually exclusive. I will list them in accordance with their position on the escalation ladder, starting with the least escalatory to the most. I will also assess their pros, cons, and probabilities.
Lastly, I will advocate for what I judge to be the least costly and possibly most effective option should the Houthis continue with their attacks – striking Houthi military targets inside Yemen.
Photo by UK Ministry of Defence/Anadolu via Getty Images
معهد الشرق الأوسط (MEI) هو منظمة تعليمية مستقلة وغير حزبية وغير ربحية. لا يشارك المعهد في أي أنشطة دعوية، وآراء الباحثين فيه تعبر عن آرائهم الشخصية. يرحب المعهد بالتبرعات المالية، لكنه يحتفظ بالسيطرة التحريرية الكاملة على أعماله، ولا تعكس منشوراته سوى آراء المؤلفين. للاطلاع على قائمة المتبرعين للمعهد، يرجى النقر هنا.
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