Houthi Attacks on Red Sea Shipping Continue to Pose a Threat Despite Western Military Efforts

Houthis and their supporters march in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, to celebrate the fifth anniversary of its capture by Houthi forces. Credit: Henry Ridgwell (VOA)

By Valli Pendyala

The European Union (EU) announced a February 19 launch of a naval mission to protect cargo ships in the Red Sea from Houthi aggression, reported Al Jazeera. Houthi attacks have decimated global trade networks since they began in November 2023.

The Houthis began as a rebel group in Yemen in the late 1980s, says NPR. They rose to prominence in the early 2000s due to an increase in their military power and the start of their war with the Yemeni government. They ultimately overthrew the Yemeni government in 2014 and have since ruled the country from its capital, Sanaa. In response, a Saudi-backed coalition launched a military campaign in Yemen to reestablish the previous government in 2015. The conflict escalated to an intense civil war that has killed, wounded, and displaced millions, creating what the UN has named the largest humanitarian crisis in the world.

The Houthis have framed their struggle as one of opposition to the United States and its allies, including Israel, according to the New York Times. Following the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas War on October 7, 2023, Houthi forces began launching attacks on ships in the Red Sea. Yahya Sarea, a Houthi spokesman, has said that the attacks are meant to “protest the ‘killing, destruction and siege’ in Gaza and to stand in solidarity with the Palestinian people.” Since then, the Houthis have attacked dozens of ships tied to 40 different countries. 

Houthi operations have effectively shut down shipping lanes in the Red Sea, says Al Jazeera, through which 12 percent of global trade travels. It turns out that Egypt, not Israel, has been affected the most. The Egyptian Suez Canal Authority has reported a 40 percent loss in income since the attacks began. They expect even more losses if the attacks continue.

The February 19 naval launch is just the EU’s latest attempt in a long series of efforts to stop the attacks, reported the East Bay Times. Working in tandem with the EU, the United States has launched drone and air strikes. All have been unsuccessful in deterring threats to Red Sea shipping, and Houthi leaders have shown no willingness to stop attacks anytime soon.

There may be more than just economic consequences if Houthi attacks continue. The Houthis have threatened to target undersea cables in the Red Sea, reported Memri. The cables serve as vital networks that ferry most of the internet data, financial information, and communications between Europe and Asia, says Foreign Policy Magazine. The Houthis have yet to make good on their threat. Attacking the cables would completely disconnect Europe from Asia, and with the Houthis’ control over the Red Sea, it could prove challenging to repair them.

Although the Houthis likely do not possess the capability to cause that level of destruction yet, according to Foreign Policy Magazine, they could still damage cables laid in shallow areas. Regardless, the protection of undersea cables is vital to keep the world running. How to ensure their safety is yet to be determined, but it is a question that becomes more urgent every day.