US national security adviser says stopping Houthi Red Sea attacks is an ‘all hands on deck’ problem
WASHINGTON — A senior White House official said Tuesday that addressing the ongoing threat from Yemen’s Houthi rebels on commercial ships in the Red Sea is an “all hands on deck” issue that the U.S. and allies must address together to reduce the impact on the global economy.
“How long this goes on and how bad it gets does not depend solely on the decisions of the countries in the coalition that took strikes last week,” White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said during an appearance on the World Economic Forum in Davos. Switzerland.
The Iran-backed Houthi group has launched dozens of attacks on ships in the Red Sea, a crucial corridor for world shipping, since November in what they say is an effort to support the Palestinians in the war with Israel. US and British forces have carried out dozens of air and naval strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen since Friday. The Houthis’ attacks have continued.
The attacks on the Red Sea have already caused significant disruptions to global trade. Oil prices have moved higher in recent days, although Brent crude futures fell slightly in early trading on Tuesday. Tesla announced last week that it would temporarily halt most production at its German factory due to attacks in the Red Sea.
The US launched a new attack on the Houthis on Tuesday, hitting anti-ship missiles in the third attack on the Iran-backed group in recent days. The attack came as the Iran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for a missile attack on the Malta-flagged bulk carrier Zografia in the Red Sea. No one was injured.
Sullivan said it is critical that countries with influence over Tehran and other Middle Eastern capitals make it clear “that the entire world rejects the idea that a group like the Houthis can essentially hijack the world.”
President Joe Biden’s senior adviser acknowledged that Houthi attacks in the Red Sea and groups linked to Iran carrying out attacks in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen raise concerns that the war between Israel and Hamas could escalate, even now Israeli officials have indicated a shift. in intensity during their military campaign.
“We need to be alert and alert to the possibility that, in fact, instead of heading toward de-escalation, we are on a path of escalation that we need to manage,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan’s comments came after Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said during an appearance at the Davos forum that the situation in the Middle East is a “recipe for escalation everywhere.” He said Qatar believes ending the conflict in Gaza will deter the Houthis and militant groups from launching attacks elsewhere in the region.
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Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Jerusalem contributed reporting.