There were more Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping in June than any other month of this year, Middle East Eye reported Wednesday, citing data from the UK’s Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
According to the UKMTO, there were 16 confirmed Houthi attacks on shipping in June. Only December of 2023 saw more attacks since the campaign started in response to Israel’s onslaught in Gaza.
The numbers demonstrate that the bombing campaign against the Houthis in Yemen that was launched by the US and the UK has done nothing to deter the Houthis, who are officially known as Ansar Allah.
The US military continues to intercept Houthi missiles and drones over the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and launch strikes in Yemen, which has cost the US over $1 billion. According to the commander of the US Navy destroyer USS Carney, which recently returned home from a Red Sea deployment, the campaign has been the largest US naval battle since World War II.
The Houthis have been clear the only way they’ll stop their attacks on Israel-linked and other commercial shipping is if there’s a ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the Israeli siege. Tim Lenderking, the US’s envoy to Yemen, has acknowledged the Houthis would likely be true to their word, but the US continues to support Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza instead of pushing for a unilateral ceasefire.
It was clear from the start that a new bombing campaign against the Houthis would only escalate the situation. The US backed a brutal Saudi/UAE war against the Houthis from 2015-2022 that involved heavy airstrikes and a blockade, and the Houthis only became more of a capable fighting force during that time.
The war killed at least 377,000 people, with more than half dying of starvation and disease caused by the siege. A ceasefire between the Houthis and Saudis has held relatively well since April 2022, but new US sanctions are now blocking the implementation of a lasting peace deal.
