The decision by the United States and United Kingdom to launch air and naval strikes on Houthi rebel targets in Yemen on Thursday risks escalating a conflict with an Iranian-backed proxy. But the West had no choice after a string of costly attacks that have disrupted commercial shipping in the Red Sea. Earlier Thursday, the Houthis, which control much of Yemen, fired a ballistic missile in the Gulf of Aden, in what US officials said was the 27th attack on commercial shipping by the group since Nov. 19.
Most Americans know little about the Houthi rebels, who burst upon the scene in Yemen in 2014, initiating a major war causing hunger, misery, and loss of life — killing more than 150,000 people and creating a major humanitarian disaster. But Americans understand that we must stand for values like freedom of navigation. The Red Sea helps bridge the Middle East and Asia to Europe as the southern access point through the Suez Canal — home to about 10 percent of the world’s oil trade at sea and $1 trillion in goods pass annually.
A failure to respond would make a mockery of public diplomacy. On Dec. 18, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced Operation Prosperity Guardian. He called upon, ”Countries that seek to uphold the foundational principle of freedom of navigation must come together to tackle the challenge posed by this non-state actor launching ballistic missiles and uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) at merchant vessels from many nations lawfully transiting international waters.” Now we must come together.
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Also on the line is US support for Israel in its war with Hamas. Having thrown its support behind Israel, it would make little sense for the United States to resist the temptation to strike at the Houthi rebels that began their offensive after the Oct. 7 terrorism attacks by Hamas. Just weeks after the attacks, on Oct. 19, the Houthis began assaults on Israeli ships — setting up an inevitable confrontation with America. The Houthis declared their support for Hamas and vowed to target any ship headed for Israel
Imagine how Congress would react if the Biden administration had failed to respond. Military decisions always come with trade-offs. The United States has been rightly reluctant to get in the middle of a shaky truce between Yemen and Saudi Arabia but the price of it not acting became too high.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, we learned how interconnected the world is, and the critical nature of supply chains. According to the International Monetary Fund, 35 percent less cargo went through the Suez Canal in the first week of January compared to the same week last year. Companies have had to go longer distances, opting to go around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, to avoid the Suez Canal, which is a longer and more expensive route.
When prices go up, leaders must act. Shipping disruptions in the Red Sea have led to higher fuel prices and disruptions, which have an impact on global economic growth and domestic employment.
So now what? How much more conflict can the Middle East, seemingly on fire, handle? The Houthis will probably respond to the US and UK strikes. The rebel group has said that “any American attack will not remain without a response. The response will be greater than the attack that was carried out with 20 drones and a number of missiles,” referring to a Houthi strike on Wednesday that targeted US and UK ships.
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What makes this decision to launch strikes even more important is that we have allies.
The United Nations, now nearly always on the same page as the United States, found its voice on this issue when it backed a resolution Jan. 10 demanding that the Houthis stop attacking ships in the Red Sea and free a Japanese-operated ship that was seized Nov. 19.
Conflict is never pretty. But there are times when use of force is a necessary choice of last resort. This is one of those times.
Tara D. Sonenshine is a senior fellow at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
