TheLittleTwentieth – Renowned Papers Edition, AI Infused

Local sources from Saudi Arabia: Sky News Arabia سكاي نيوز عربية, CNN Arabic.
UK coverage: Middle East Eye.

Western officials are privately warning the shipping industry to expect continued attacks on vessels in the Red Sea by Houthi rebels, according to anonymous sources. The Biden administration is concerned that direct strikes on the Houthis or designating them as a terrorist organization could jeopardize the Yemen peace process and the wider Iran-Saudi Arabia rapprochement. The Houthi attacks pose a challenge for the Biden administration’s deterrence capabilities, as they are reluctant to take military action against the group for fear of derailing peace negotiations. The US is now considering establishing a naval task force to protect ships in the Red Sea.

According to a report published by the Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, Tel Aviv does not see Houthi attacks as a threat to its commercial ships passing through the area. This is due to the difficulties faced by the Houthis in targeting commercial ships, as they are fast-moving targets and almost all Houthi drones are small and unable to carry out a significant attack. Additionally, if a ship sails in a zigzag pattern and shuts down its transmitters, it can only be detected through continuous monitoring and visual contact to verify its presence.

Moreover, military expert Jamal Al-Rifa’i agrees with some of what was mentioned in the Israeli newspaper report, saying that the Houthis “cannot sink or destroy any commercial ship, especially since the US fleet operates near the region.” He also cites the example of US forces in the Red Sea intercepting Houthi-affiliated aircraft and missiles heading towards several ships.

The US Central Command, in a new statement, said that four separate attacks occurred against commercial ships in the Red Sea on Sunday, carried out by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The statement mentioned that while responding to distress calls from those ships, a US destroyer shot down Houthi-affiliated drones heading towards it. The US Central Command added that the ships are associated with 14 countries and that the United States has every reason to believe that they “have received enabling support from Iran.”

The Houthi attacks pose a major challenge for the Biden administration, as they are reluctant to take military action against the group for fear of derailing peace negotiations. The US is now considering establishing a naval task force to protect ships in the Red Sea and is urging other countries to join in this effort. It is clear that the international community must come together to address this threat and ensure the safety of commercial vessels in the region.