Iran is deeply implicated in the assaults on ships in the Red Sea orchestrated by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, according to the head of the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, as reported by the Associated Press.
Vice Admiral Brad Cooper stated, “Clearly, the Houthi actions, particularly in terms of their attacks on merchant shipping, are the most significant that we’ve seen in two generations. The facts simply are that they’re attacking the international community; thus, the international response I think you’ve seen.”
The Houthis initiated their attacks on ships destined for Israel or associated with Israel in the Red Sea in November as a form of protest against Israel’s bombing of Gaza. Over time, these attacks expanded to include vessels with no Israel affiliation.
In response, the U.S. and UK deployed additional ships to the Red Sea and began intercepting Houthi drones and missiles. Predictably, this led to retaliatory attacks on those ships, prompting further responses from the U.S. and the UK.
Following one such retaliation, the Houthis declared any U.S. ship in the Red Sea as a legitimate target.
This rapidly escalating situation has forced a significant rerouting of vessels around Africa, causing delays in the transportation of various goods, components, and raw materials. Europe, which is the typical destination for goods passing through the Red Sea, is particularly affected by the disrupted supply chain.
The Financial Times recently reported that the Houthi attacks and the resulting rerouting of cargo have, on average, added approximately two weeks to the usual journey from Asia to Europe, leading to widespread chaos and significantly higher prices.
The extensive rerouting in the Red Sea has also impacted oil and LNG tankers, raising concerns that the Middle East conflict may finally influence international oil prices, which had surprisingly remained resilient for several months.
