US, allies warn Huthis as ship attacks rattle global commerce

Twelve nations led by the United States on Wednesday jointly warned Yemen's Huthi rebels of unspecified consequences unless they immediately halt sea attacks that are increasingly disrupting global commerce.

U.S. President Joe Biden's administration described the statement — joined notably by Britain, Germany and Japan — as a final warning as he weighs possible military strikes against the Huthis if attacks persist.

The Iranian-backed rebels, who control much of Yemen including the capital Sanaa and most of the Red Sea coast, have been firing on ships allegedly linked to Israel in avowed solidarity with Palestinians in the battered, Hamas-run Gaza Strip.

"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 joint statement released by the White House.

"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."

A senior Biden administration official, while not specifying the consequences, called the message "very clear."

"I would not anticipate another warning. I think this statement speaks for itself," the official told reporters.

Biden consulted with his national security team on the morning of New Year's Day while on holiday in the U.S. Virgin Islands to "discuss options" over the Huthi attacks, the official said.

Britain — a close U.S. ally on security issues — has issued its own warning of "direct action," with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak saying that the Huthis "must end their deadly and destabilizing attacks on vessels."

"The U.K. will always take action to defend freedom of...