In Response to Repeated Houthi Attacks on International Ships; the U.S. is Considering Options

According to reports, the United States is considering options for attacking the Houthis in Yemen, as the repeated attacks by this Iran-backed group have disrupted international shipping through a key waterway in the Red Sea. Two unnamed U.S. officials told Politico that a strike group carrying the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower has been moved to the Gulf of Aden to support a potential U.S. response. One of these officials also mentioned that U.S. military commanders have provided 'options' for attacking this group based in Yemen. According to Politico, a Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment when approached by the publication for a statement. Global shipping has become a target during the war between Israel and the Hamas group, which, like the Houthis, is supported by the Iranian government. The Houthis have carried out a series of attacks on ships in the Red Sea and have also targeted Israel with drones and missiles. The Houthis claim that the purpose of their attacks is to end the war between Israel and Hamas. In recent days, Houthi attacks on ships passing through the Red Sea have increased, and the expansion of this insecurity in global shipping seems likely to provoke a global response. The intensification of Houthi attacks on two commercial ships from Norway and Switzerland; a U.S. special envoy warned that two other shipping companies have refrained from passing through the Suez Canal and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait; Houthi attacks have made the Red Sea unsafe. The U.S. reported the downing of 14 Houthi attack drones. Britain shot down an attack drone in the skies over the Red Sea. The Pentagon has ordered the U.S. aircraft carrier to remain in the eastern Mediterranean near Israel. Following Houthi attacks on commercial ships, Maersk has suspended its operations in the Red Sea.