What are the US and Europe doing to confront Houthi attacks in the Red Sea?

Trump threatened the Houthis, in a post on Truth Social, that "the gates of hell will open wide" if they did not stop their attacks.

The White House said in a statement that by launching these attacks, the Trump administration is "combating terrorism and protecting international trade."

The statement noted that five of the top 10 importing countries, in terms of the value of trade through the Red Sea, are members of the European Union. It added that the Houthis have attacked US warships 174 times and commercial vessels 145 times since 2023.

The Houthis responded that they were prepared to respond to the escalation with escalation, but they have not yet issued a response.

Which shipping companies are affected?

The Houthis sank two ships, captured a third, and killed at least four sailors.

A report released by the US Defense Intelligence Agency in April 2024 stated that the attacks affected the interests of at least 85 countries and at least 29 major energy and shipping companies.

The report added that the majority of the targeted ships were owned by European companies, but at least eight ships were owned by American companies.

Many shipping companies began avoiding the Red Sea route as the attacks began, taking costly alternative routes around Africa, which led to a decline in their profits.

Rolf Habben Jansen, CEO of Frankfurt-based Hapag-Lloyd, said on Thursday that he did not expect a quick resolution to the crisis.

During the company's 2024 earnings presentation following the latest US strikes, Jansen said, "Two or three weeks ago, I was more optimistic about when it (the Red Sea route) would return. Now, I'm more concerned."

Denmark's Maersk said last year that diverting shipping around the Cape of Good Hope around Africa would have a "cascading effect," causing ships to back up on alternative main routes.

Maersk CEO Vinson Clare said in February that the Houthis' ability to launch attacks would need to be "completely disrupted" or a permanent ceasefire in Gaza reached for shipping to resume in the Red Sea.

What are countries doing to confront the Houthis?

In December 2023, the administration of former US President Joe Biden announced the launch of a multinational coalition of at least 20 countries to protect shipping through the Red Sea.

Members of this alliance included Britain, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain.

In February 2024, the European Union launched another operation after France and other countries rejected the US-led mission, unwilling to submit to US command.

An EU official stated that the European mission successfully intercepted four ballistic missiles, 18 drones, and two naval aircraft, while providing protection to more than 400 commercial vessels.

Following US airstrikes on Yemen last week, the European mission announced an immediate reduction in shipping traffic through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

Separately, Britain carried out five joint airstrikes with the United States targeting Houthi positions last year. The United States has carried out, and continues to carry out, strikes alone to date.

Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand provided non-operational support to the combined strikes.

On March 18, a spokesman for British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told reporters that the prime minister and Trump discussed US strikes on Houthi targets, which Britain routinely supports with air refueling.

French warships previously escorted vessels from the French shipping company CMA CGM, but the company suspended its shipments through the Red Sea in February 2024. The company stated in January that it was still not ready to resume operations due to ongoing security concerns.

Source: Reuters