US, allies warn Huthis of 'consequences' if ship attacks continue
by AFP Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) Jan 3, 2024

Twelve nations led by the United States on Wednesday jointly warned Yemen's Huthi rebels of unspecified consequences unless they halt their attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea.

The statement released by the White House comes after several reports that President Joe Biden's administration is considering direct strikes on the rebels if the attacks continue.

"Let our message now be clear: we call for the immediate end of these illegal attacks and release of unlawfully detained vessels and crews," said the statement.

"The Huthis will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy and free flow of commerce in the region's critical waterways."

Signatories of the statement included the UK, which on Monday issued its own warning to the Huthis of "direct action," as well as Australia, Canada, Germany and Japan.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said Wednesday on X (formerly Twitter) that they were "united" in their stance.

"The Houthis must end their deadly and destabilising attacks on vessels in the Red Sea," he wrote, using an alternate spelling for the Iran-backed rebels.

"The UK will always take action to defend freedom of navigation."

The only regional country to sign was Bahrain, the tiny Gulf state that has particularly tense relations with Iran, which supports the Huthis.

The Huthis say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza by targeting ships with links to Israel.

The United States has sent an aircraft carrier, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, to the area and earlier announced a coalition of countries to protect movement in the Red Sea, through which 12 percent of global trade passes.

Meanwhile the UK has sent a Royal Navy destroyer, HMS Diamond, to join the maritime protection force and other British military vessels already in the Gulf as part of its longstanding maritime presence there.

A dozen nations join U.S. in condemning Houthi attacks
Washington DC (UPI) Jan 3, 2024 - A coalition of 13 nations pledged to hold Houthi militants accountable for attacking commercial shipping passing through the Red Sea.

The White House issued a joint statement Wednesday that included the UK, Japan and Australia as signatories, calling the attacks "illegal, unacceptable and profoundly destabilizing."

"There is no lawful justification for intentionally targeting civilian shipping and naval vessels," the statement said.

"Attacks on vessels, including commercial vessels, using unmanned aerial vehicles, small boats, and missiles, including the first use of anti-ship ballistic missiles against such vessels, are a direct threat to the freedom of navigation that serves as the bedrock of global trade in one of the world's most critical waterways."

The 13 nations demanded the Houthis end the "illegal attacks" and release all detained vessels and their crews or face consequences.

"The Houthis will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and free flow of commerce in the region's critical waterways," the joint statement said.

The White House said the Red Sea accounts for the passage of nearly 15% of the world's seaborne trade, including about 8% of the world's grain, 12% of its traded oil and 8%.

White House officials said international shipping companies are rerouting shipments around the Cape of Good Hope to avoid the Red Sea passage. The longer route delays the delivery of goods, including food, fuel and humanitarian aid, by up to weeks and greatly adds to their cost.

The attacks threaten the lives of civilian sailors from around the globe and "constitute a significant international problem that demands collective action," according to the joint statement.

"There are many nations assisting us in Operation Prosperity Guardian and the Red Sea that don't want to be public," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told the White House press corps Wednesday.

"Countries are more and more becoming aware of this increasing threat to the free flow of commerce in the Red Sea by the Houthis and [are] increasingly willing to express their discomfort with that."

U.S. Navy helicopters recently sank three Houthi boats and killed its 10 crew members after they fired on the helicopters. The Houthis were attacking a vessel passing through the Red Sea on Sunday.

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