The United States today carried out further airstrikes against the Iran-backed Houthi militia, following up an initial wave of bombing on Saturday.
The US targeted military and associated targets across the Houthi-controlled portion of Yemen, which includes most of the country’s Red Sea coast.
The Houthis said at least 53 people have been killed, many of them civilians.
They said they attacked US Navy ships in response, but that may be bluster.
The Trump administration seems to be sending a message to Iran, which supplies missiles and drones to the Houthis and continues to develop nuclear weapons in defiance of international law.
The proximate cause for the airstrikes was the declaration by the Houthis last Wednesday that they would resume targeting Israel-linked commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden in response to Israel blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Israel the week before barred food, medical and other aid shipments to war-torn Gaza in response to a breakdown in its talks with Iran-backed Hamas over the next phase of the ceasefire implemented on 19 January.
When that ceasefire went into effect, the Houthis suspended their 15-month campaign in which they attacked over 100 commercial vessels with drones and missiles and occasionally skiff-borne commandos in solidarity with Hamas.
Many of the ships that were attacked had no connection to Israel at all.
Two vessels were sunk and others disabled. A total of four merchant seamen were killed.
The attacks persisted despite the formation of a US-led naval task to protect shipping lanes.
The Biden administration staged several rounds of airstrikes against the Houthis, whose military assets are well-concealed, dispersed and portable, making them hard to hit.
Also, Yemen is so poor and backward that US bombing has little societal effect.
With insurance premiums skyrocketing, commercial ship traffic through the Red Sea diminished significantly in the past year.
Despite the renewed US airstrikes, the Houthi threat to resume attacks on shipping must be taken seriously, and once again vessels with no connection to Israel could be targeted.
International shipping companies should track Red Sea/Gulf of Aden security developments closely.
Yemen should be avoided entirely.
