America fights back
The war against the Houthis is part of an escalating struggle for the seas
Around the world a storm is building on the oceans after decades of calm. In the Red Sea Houthi militias have launched dozens of attacks on ships with drones and missiles, cutting container activity in the Suez canal by 90%. On January 12th America and Britain responded with more than 60 sea and air attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen in an attempt to restore open passage, expanding the scope of the Middle East conflict. President Joe Biden threatened further military action and said America would not allow “hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most critical commercial routes”.
This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Who will rule the waves? ”
From the January 13th 2024 edition
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