Tension in the Red Sea is rising further, against the backdrop of the conflict in Gaza. The United States targeted the Houthis for the second day in a rowwith new raids directed at Yemen to weaken the military capabilities of the Shiite group that threatens Western cargo and oil tankers.
The attacks were much smaller in scale than the joint British blitz on nearly 30 targets and Iran’s allied movement reacted contemptuously: “No significant damage, we will continue to prevent ship traffic” from countries friendly to Israel, was the warning.
In the operation conducted by the US Navy in the early hours of Saturday, the USS Carney destroyer hit a Yemeni radar site. An attack “associated with those carried out on January 12 to reduce the Houthis’ ability to attack merchant ships”, the US military later explained, while the official media of the Tehran-backed militiamen reported a raid on an air base in the capital Sanaa, under their control. Yemeni security sources later reported a further raid that hit a Houthi missile launch site in the port city of Hodeida.
ANSA Agency Crosetto: ‘No request from the allies to participate in the attacks’ – News – Ansa.it Pd-M5s: ‘The government should report to the chamber’. Tajani relaunches the expansion of the mission’ (ANSA) The intense bombing of Houthi positions was justified by Washington and London as a “defensive action” in response to the intensification of raids by the Yemeni armed group against merchant ships in the Red Sea (over 20 attacks since November), but the response does not at all herald a de-escalation. The Houthis, through their spokesperson, first downplayed the damage, adding that there were no victims either. And above all, they promised a “strong and effective response”.
The threat of missiles and drones will continue to affect the merchant ships of the countries that the Houthis define as “Israel’s allies”, as a response to the invasion of Gaza.
And to confirm support for the Palestinian cause, the Shiite militias have released a video in which they simulate a raid on an Israeli village and the kidnapping of two Orthodox Jews: a macabre response to the Hamas assault on October 7. The video was relaunched by the public TV of the Jewish State, which is already dealing with another armed group in the Iranian galaxy, the Lebanese Hezbollah.
ANSA Agency The stages of escalation in the Middle East The US and UK raids on Houthi bases in Yemen are the latest development in a war which has seen an escalation of tensions in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and the Red Sea since 7 October, the day of the Hamas attacks in Israel. . (HANDLE) The escalation in the Red Sea has fueled fears of a widening of the conflict in the region, with Turkey and Saudi Arabia leading the front of those calling for moderation, while the UN Security Council confirmed the split between the powers for or against Israel in the war in Gaza.
At the UN headquarters, the US defined the actions against the Houthis as “necessary” and “proportionate”, while Russia accused Washington and London of “blatant aggression” on the territory of Yemen. As for the stone guest of this crisis, Iran, a “condemnation” of the attacks against the Houthis has arrived, but nothing more. The ayatollah regime, despite having an interest in its allies destabilizing Westerners throughout the region, has so far not shown any desire to directly enter the conflict.
Although on New Year’s Day he deployed a destroyer to the Red Sea. So far, the Houthis’ hunt for Western ships has had a significant impact on global trade. Oil prices increased by up to 4%, while the main shipping companies rerouted traffic by going around Africa, significantly lengthening travel times compared to the traditional passage from Suez: the volume of containers in transit from the Red Sea since November it has dropped by 70%, according to some experts. The EU is also moving to defend this strategic route. The topic will be at the center of the next Foreign Affairs Council, which will discuss how to strengthen the mission already active in the area, Atalanta, which was created mainly with an anti-piracy function.
ANSA Agency Assoutenti, for Suez there is a risk of cascading price increases on consumers – News – Ansa.it The growing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East risk having direct repercussions on Italian consumers, through a series of price and tariff increases that could affect various sectors and cost families hundreds of euros. (HANDLE)
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