Red Sea tensions escalate as US strikes Yemeni militants' arms
The American army, which has been trying for about a year to establish order in the Red Sea, struck the weapon warehouses of Yemeni Houthi militants over the weekend. This action followed a few days after the rebel leader proclaimed that Donald Trump will "fail" in the Middle East.
During his election campaign, the US president-elect confidently assured that he could establish peace between Ukraine and Russia "with a single phone call." However, the cost of such an endeavour remains unclear. According to Donald Trump's advisors, Moscow would be appeased, not Kyiv.
Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin's press secretary, noted that ending the war "with a single phone call" is certainly an exaggeration and an unrealistic scenario. Yet, in an interview with state media on Sunday, he acknowledged that the Kremlin perceives "positive signals" from Donald Trump concerning this conflict. The Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, also spoke favourably about the Republican victory in the presidential elections earlier.
The situation in the Middle East appears considerably more intricate for Trump, at least initially. The crisis in the Red Sea, from which Houthi militants have effectively driven out international trade, suggests that the second term of the Republican in the White House may not bring a de-escalation to the region.
Trump criticized for supporting Israel
The leader of the Yemeni militants, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, criticized Trump after he was elected the US president due to his support for Israel, which is currently conducting two land operations—in the Gaza Strip in response to an attack by Hamas in October 2023, as well as in Lebanon, where it is battling the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.
Although the Saudi crown prince, among others, has spoken positively about Trump's return to the White House, the leader of the Yemeni militants stated that his previous term did not lead to the normalization of relations between Arab countries and Israel or bring an end to the conflicts in the Middle East. Al-Houthi predicted that the Republican will "fail" during his second term," as the Saudi television service Al-Arabiya reported.
Three days following this statement, the American military, which collaborates with the British in efforts to protect tankers from attacks by Yemeni militants, launched airstrikes on their weapon warehouses. Saudi media reported that explosions were witnessed in Sana'a, Yemen's capital.
Media: Russia assists Yemeni militants
Similar Western operations have not diminished the Houthi capabilities, just as Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip have not disarmed Hamas. Meanwhile, sea transport along the vital trade route between Europe and China is taking a longer and costlier detour around Africa.
The consequences for the West extend further. Militants have also targeted aircraft. French carrier Air France has suspended flight routes over the Red Sea for safety reasons.
The regime of Vladimir Putin is also implicated in the matter, as journalists from the "Wall Street Journal" have discovered. According to a report at the end of October, Russia supplied Yemeni Houthi militants with satellite data used in attacks on Western nations' ships.
According to "WSJ" journalists, these actions reveal "how far Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to go to undermine the U.S.-led Western economic and political order." It's another urgent reason for Washington to address the crisis.
The Red Sea has been burning for a year
"There are no signs of de-escalation and it is not safe for our vessels or personnel to go there ... Our expectation at this point is that it will last well into 2025," said Vincent Clerc, CEO of transport giant Maersk.
The Houthi launched attacks using missiles and drones on vessels in the Red Sea in protest against Israel's military intervention in the Gaza Strip. Altogether, they have attacked over 100 ships since November 2023, sinking two and hijacking another. Four sailors have died in these attacks.
The actions of the Yemeni rebels have severely disrupted global trade, prompting shipping companies to reroute ships travelling to and from Asia via the route around the Cape of Good Hope, a path that is longer and more expensive than the path through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
It is estimated that nearly one out of every ten barrels of oil is shipped daily through this strait, which separates the Red Sea from the Indian Ocean. According to Windward AI, a maritime industry company, tanker traffic on this route was 77 percent lower in August 2024 compared to October 2023.
By April 2024, the USA had spent approximately CAD 1.4 billion on munitions to destroy Houthi drones and rockets and safeguard shipping in the Red Sea. In early October, American forces deployed B-2 Spirit bombers to target the militants' arsenal.
