U.S. Strikes on Yemen's Houthis Contradict De-escalation Efforts
Experts assert that the U.S. is playing the roles of both an "arsonist and firefighter" by advocating for Middle East de-escalation while supporting Israel's military campaign in Gaza.
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For months, high-ranking United States officials have consistently emphasized President Joe Biden's desire to prevent the Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip from expanding into a broader Middle East confrontation.
This core message was reiterated by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken during his fourth visit to the region this week, coinciding with Israeli attacks in Lebanon and assaults by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on vessels in the Red Sea.
In Cairo on Thursday, Blinken emphasized the need to avoid escalation in the Red Sea, stating, “The Red Sea — we want to avoid escalation there.”
However, only hours later, the U.S. confirmed its collaboration with the United Kingdom in launching "strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels," coordinated with several other countries.
Experts and human rights advocates caution that these attacks run counter to the Biden administration's stated de-escalation goals and do not address the root cause of heightened tensions in the region: Israel’s military offensive in Gaza.
“It does run contrary to what the administration has been saying, but it was also inevitable,” noted Hassan El-Tayyab, legislative director for Middle East policy at the Friends Committee on National Legislation, a Quaker advocacy group in Washington, DC.
“Everybody watching this situation knew that it was a matter of time before the war in Gaza spilled out across the region. And we’re seeing that not only in the Red Sea, but we’re also seeing it in Lebanon, Syria and Iraq,” he told Al Jazeera.
“Without that ceasefire in Gaza, it’s hard to see how this gets better. And I think the simmering pot is now boiling over, and it’s just going to get worse and worse as time goes on. It’s really a very dangerous moment.”
On Friday, a senior U.S. official informed Reuters that over 150 munitions were deployed to target nearly 30 locations associated with the Houthi armed group in Yemen.
The Houthi rebels, aligned with Iran, exert control over significant territories in Yemen, including the western coast overlooking the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a critical passage leading to the Red Sea. Following the initiation of the Gaza war in October, the group initiated missile strikes on Israel and launched attacks on commercial ships.
Claiming to target vessels linked to Israel as a means of pressuring the Israeli government to cease its bombardment of Gaza and facilitate increased humanitarian aid deliveries, the Houthis' actions in the Red Sea prompted shipping companies to suspend operations in the area. The attacks drew condemnation from the U.S. and its allies.
In mid-December, Washington established a multinational force with the goal of safeguarding the "freedom of navigation" in the Red Sea. Towards the end of the month, U.S. forces sank three Houthi boats, resulting in the death of 10 fighters.
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