Cutting Houthi supply lines key to trade

The Houthis' August 23 attack on the Greek-flagged MV Sounion, nearly costing 25 seafarers their lives, now threatens to become among the largest environmental disasters in history should the tanker and its 150,000 metric tons of oil capsize.

Houthi-broadcast images of the ship engulfed in flames brought into sharp focus the failure of US policy towards the Houthis - consisting largely of defensive measures and targeted, proportionate strikes targeting launchpads and storage facilities - which implicitly treats Houthi attacks as inevitable.

Since November, the Houthis have launched over 200 attacks from Yemen at commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea, striking over 77 commercial vessels.

To re-secure this vital trade route, the United States should shift to countering these Houthi attacks through a proactive strategy focused on degrading the Iranian...