How to respond to Houthis attacks' on Red Sea shipping

 Politico:

Top Biden administration officials are actively weighing options to strike back at Houthis in Yemen after the Iran-backed group launched new attacks on naval and commercial ships in the Red Sea on Saturday, according to two U.S. officials.

The Pentagon has in recent days moved the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group from the Persian Gulf into the Gulf of Aden, off the coast of Yemen, to support a potential U.S. response to attacks, said one of the officials, both of whom were granted anonymity to speak about sensitive plans. The military has also provided options to commanders to strike the Houthis, the official said.

The Biden administration has been reluctant to respond militarily against the Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in recent weeks for fear of provoking Iran, which backs Hamas and Hezbollah in Yemen as well as the Houthis. Previously, the Pentagon had recommended the administration not do so.

But a significant uptick in attacks in recent days could potentially lead top U.S. national security officials to change their calculus.

The destroyer USS Carney, operating in the Red Sea, shot down 14 one-way attack drones launched from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen early Saturday morning. Meanwhile, a British destroyer, the HMS Diamond, which had recently arrived in the region to help protect commercial shipping, also shot down a Houthi drone.

On Friday, a Houthi drone struck the Liberian-flagged Motor Vessel Al Jasrah in the Red Sea, causing a fire. The same day, Houthi forces also launched two ballistic missiles toward the Bab el-Mandeb strait, one of which struck the Liberian-flagged Motor Vessel Palatium 3. U.S. warships responded to the attacks at the time.

A Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment on ongoing operations.

The assault has had a significant impact on the commercial market. Maersk, the world’s biggest shipping company, on Friday halted all shipping through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital passageway for cargo and energy shipments traveling between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
...

The US is not the only country with an interest in shipping in the region and should gather a coalition of other affected countries in dealing with the situation.  Together they should be able to take out the Houthis and deter Iran.  Iran is a country that likes to mess with others but would be little challenge to a coalition of forces. 

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