What’s happening in the Red Sea?
The United States is stepping up its response to recent attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Monday that a new operation led by the U.S. will protect merchant ships in the Red Sea, according to CNN. The Houthis of Yemen have claimed the attacks, saying they’re in response to Israel’s invasion of Gaza.
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A new Red Sea operation
A U.S. destroyer shot down more than a dozen Red Sea drones over the weekend and provided a glimpse at the operation Austin announced to combat Houthi attacks, according to CNN.
Per CNN, the U.S. Navy is mum on what weapons are being used against the Houthis, but a destroyer has “a range of weapons systems at its disposal.” Some of those include surface-to-air missiles, explosive shells and close-in weapons systems, experts told CNN.
Key details such as rules of engagement and how many warships will be involved aren’t yet clear, per Reuters. Bahrain, Britain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles and Spain are among nations involved in the operation.
How the attacks affect commerce
Major shipping companies are rerouting vessels from the Red Sea to avoid attacks, according to Fox Business.
The move has prompted global trade disruptions that are expected to get worse.
In Europe, freight rates have skyrocketed in part due to the rerouting of vessels, per Fox Business. The situation was escalated when Greece, which owns 20% of the world’s commercial vessels in terms of carrying capacity, advised shippers to avoid the Red Sea.
Companies are now shipping goods via routes that are often longer than normal, per Reuters. Traffic in parts of the Red Sea fell by 14% in mid-December, and vessels are now going around Africa to avoid the chaos.
“That in turn has stoked worries about delays to deliveries and price rises that could trigger a new bout of global inflation,” Reuters reported.
The Houthi response
The Houthis are vowing to defy the U.S. operation and continue the Red Sea attacks, according to Axios.
In response to the Hamas-Israel war, the attacks began Nov. 19. Per Axios, 37 incidents involving shipping vessels have occurred.
CNN noted that the Iran-backed Houthis could be in the conflict for the long haul.
Since nations involved in the Red Sea operation “are facing drones that can be produced and deployed in large numbers for unit prices under $100,000, a prolonged campaign could eventually tax U.S. resources,” according to CNN.
