Abstract
The Houthis have carried out an unprecedented assault on commercial shipping and foreign warships operating in international waters off the Arabian Peninsula that has changed the face of maritime terrorism. These waters are a strategic corridor that facilitates international trade and the movement of naval forces from Europe and the Americas to the Middle East and Asia via the Suez Canal. As a result of the Houthi attacks, most shipping companies rerouted their vessels around Africa via the Cape of Good Hope, which adds significant costs and adversely affects the global supply chain, increasing inflation, and exacerbating food insecurity in developing nations. The United States considers these unlawful attacks on shipping a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security and has taken appropriate action in coordination with key allies and partners to curb Houthi aggression. These actions include operations to uphold the principle of freedom of navigation and degrade Houthi capabilities to attack international shipping and coalition warships. In addition, the United States has designated the Houthis as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity and a Foreign Terrorist Organization under U.S. law. Those designations provide additional tools to hold the group accountable for its terrorist acts, discourage Houthi attacks on international shipping, and inhibit Iranian military support to the rebels to contain Tehran’s influence in the region. President Trump has also signed National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM)-2 to impose maximum pressure on Iran to end its nuclear threat, curtail its ballistic missile program, and stop its support for terrorist groups.
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