Exclusive; A U.S. State Department Spokesperson: The United States Firmly Defends Maritime Trade Security in the Red Sea

A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of State told Voice of America that, as President Joe Biden has emphasized, the United States will take all necessary actions to defend American ships and international trade against the unwarranted attacks of the Houthis. According to this spokesperson, a coalition consisting of the United States, Britain, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, the Netherlands, Denmark, and New Zealand has been formed to condemn and hold the Houthis accountable for these attacks, and has carried out three attacks against the Houthis, significantly reducing their ability to continue attacks. The State Department spokesperson noted that the United States, in addition to military action, has destroyed Houthi missile launchers that posed a threat to ships in the region and has mobilized the international community to condemn Houthi attacks. This spokesperson stated that Tim Lenderking, the U.S. Special Envoy for Yemen, is currently in the region to discuss solutions to this crisis with Yemeni and Saudi allies, and considered Houthi attacks as harmful to the global economy, emphasizing that the Iran-backed Houthis must immediately cease their attacks on ships in the Red Sea. Since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October, following a terrorist attack by Palestinian groups on Israel, the Iran-backed Houthis have attacked ships passing through the Red Sea shipping route in response to the Israel-Hamas war, making this international waterway unsafe in recent months. The actions of the Houthis in making the Red Sea unsafe have been praised by Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, who referred to it as 'Jihad in the way of Allah' and supported it. The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency confirmed in a report released on Tuesday, February 6, that the Iran-backed Houthis have used Iranian-made missiles and drones against military and civilian targets throughout the Middle East. The Pentagon reported that over 40 militants were killed or wounded in last Friday's attacks on Iran-backed groups. A German frigate has set sail for the Red Sea to protect commercial ships. U.S. forces destroyed three Houthi missiles. Several Republican lawmakers in the U.S. have called for the 'immediate' designation of the Houthis as a terrorist organization. The Defense Intelligence Agency confirmed the Houthis' use of Iranian missiles and drones in their attacks. Six more missiles were fired by the Houthis in the Red Sea; the U.S. intercepted at least one missile. While international coalition attacks on Houthi positions continue, the Prime Minister of Yemen has changed.