Yemen’s Houthi rebels have been attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea since last fall, and despite countless attempts to disrupt their coastal operations, they have maintained a steady rate of attacks. Their resilience, according to a senior naval commander, is based on continued support from their Iranian sponsors, their own capabilities and – what is emerging – a new variety of suppliers.
The Houthis’ supply chain has relied on Iran since the group’s militant activities began, and over the years the U.S. and its allies have intercepted several Iranian arms shipments at sea destined for Yemen. But the group’s supply infrastructure has evolved “far beyond” what it was at the start of Yemen’s civil war 10 years ago, says 5th Fleet Commander Vice Admiral George Wikoff – and it is now linked to multiple actors.
“There are efforts underway to investigate all supply routes to the Houthis, and we don’t believe those are limited to the Iranians,” Wikoff said in a video interview with CSIS. “The Houthis are diversifying. There is discussion that they could become exporters of (weapons) technology.”
Wikoff questioned the Houthis’ claim that they were fighting for Palestinian rights, pointing out that the group had been attacking Saudi shipping for years before attacking shipping linked to Israel. The group’s anti-shipping campaign is taking a regional toll, he said, from empty hotels in Aqaba to delayed aid deliveries in Port Sudan to the collapse of Egypt’s Suez Canal revenues.
“Two-thirds of the people in Yemen … are in dire need of humanitarian aid right now, and 30 million people in the region are starving,” he said. “The Houthis have an explanation for why they are doing what they are doing, but in the end they are only harming a lot of people who have absolutely nothing to do with what they are supposedly doing.”
American and allied naval forces have attempted to stem the tide of Houthi attacks, but with limited success. Wikoff acknowledged that U.S. efforts to weaken the group’s capabilities have had limited success, and described the U.S. Navy’s current mission as a “shock absorber” in the Red Sea “to maintain a semblance of maritime order while we allow an opportunity to develop policy.” The challenge in creating a deterrent, Wikoff said, is that the Houthis are a decentralized group and have no real center of gravity to threaten.
Maritime security is one part of the threat landscape, but there are other considerations too – such as ensuring Israel’s security. Following back-to-back assassinations of members of the Hamas terror group, Iran is expected to launch a major retaliatory strike against Israel early next week, with likely support from Houthi forces and the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah. The US Navy has repositioned its forces to deter Iran and help defend against an expected attack.
The carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt is currently off the coast of Yemen and the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has just departed Guam to join the regional presence. On Thursday, the amphibious USS wasp entered the port of Limassol, Cyprus, with elements of the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. A flat-deck amphibious ship like the USS wasp would be beneficial in a large-scale evacuation operation. “The visit comes at a time when the United States, together with key partners, is making every effort to de-escalate regional tensions and stand ready to support civilians in crises,” U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus Julie Fisher said in a statement on X.
