U.S. Navy sinks three Houthi boats:\u00a0<\/strong>Starting in October, the Houthis\u2014a group of Iran-backed Yemeni militants\u2014staged a series of attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. This past weekend, the situation got out of control: Houthis attacked<\/a> a container ship, the Maersk Hangzhou, and U.S.S. Eisenhower carrier group helicopters responded to the distress call. Houthis started shooting, and the American helicopters responded, sinking three of the four Houthi boats and killing at least 10 people who were on board.<\/p>\n

Iran claims it was not behind the attacks, but “ten days ago, the [Biden] administration declassified intelligence indicating that Iranian paramilitary groups were coordinating the Houthi attacks, providing targeting information about commercial shipping passing through the waterway and the Suez Canal.”<\/p>\n

Now the administration “must decide whether to strike Houthi missile and drone sites in Yemen, or wait to see whether the Houthis back off after the sinking of three of their fast boats and the deaths of their fighters,” according to<\/a> senior officials who spoke with\u00a0The New York Times.<\/em><\/p>\n

Yahya Saree, a Houthi spokesperson, said<\/a> the Arab world ought to be “ready for all options in confronting the American escalation.”<\/p>\n

“The American enemy bears the consequences of this crime,” said<\/a> the Houthis, and no U.S. Navy actions can prevent the militants from “performing their religious, moral and humanitarian duty in support and aid of those who have been wronged in Palestine and Gaza.”<\/p>\n

“If attacks by Iran’s proxies against U.S. forces continue, we will not hesitate to take further necessary measures to protect our people,” said<\/a> Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin back in October. Now, the U.S. is weighing how to handle the growing threat posed by the Houthis\u2014as well as how to ensure safe passage for ships that must traverse the Red Sea, which is an essential route for about 12 percent<\/a> of global commerce.<\/p>\n