Red Sea
China Is Aiding Houthi Attacks in the Red Sea
The Yemen-based Houthi rebels have found a new backer: the People’s Republic of China. In a recent report published by i24 News, U.S. intelligence sources detail the undercover collaboration between Beijing...
How Will The Trump Administration Handle The Houthis?
Shortly after Donald Trump was declared the forty-seventh president of the United States, a social media account circulated a claim that the Houthis’ military spokesman had declared a cessation of...
Egypt in Somalia: Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick
In August 2024, the African Union Peace and Security Council approved the formation of the African Union Support and Stabilization Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), a move later endorsed by the...
A Proportional Response? American Strategy and the Red Sea
“What is the virtue of a proportional response?” asks President Jed Bartlet of his National Security Council (NSC) in one episode of The West Wing. “They hit an airplane, so...
The Red Sea Crisis has Consolidated Houthi Control over Yemen
Detaining UN and NGO workers, intensifying attacks on global shipping, and earning the ire of regional and global powers. Are these the behaviors of a state acting out of desperation...
A Deadly Alliance: Al-Shabaab and the Houthis
On June 11, United States intelligence made a startling claim: Yemen’s Houthi rebels are looking to cooperate with Al Qaeda’s Somali affiliate al-Shabaab and are discussing a deal to provide...
The Houthis Freaked: Navy Aircraft Carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt Is Sailing In Their Backyard
Summary and Key Points: The USS Theodore Roosevelt (TR), a Nimitz-class supercarrier, has relieved the USS Eisenhower in the Red Sea as part of Carrier Strike Group 9 (CSG 9),...
USS Carney’s Epic Deployment: Protecting the Red Sea and Knocking Out Missiles
Summary and Key Points: The USS Carney (DDG-64) recently concluded a significant deployment to the Eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea, conducting 51 engagements against Houthi missiles and drones to protect...
Joe Biden’s Failed Strategy Against the Houthi Threat in the Red Sea
Despite their attacks on global shipping, the Houthis are much weaker than they appear. With their increasing attacks on shipping passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea,...
How Houthi Attacks Impact U.S. Consumers
The Iran-backed Houthis have been assaulting shipping in the Red Sea since October, driving up global shipping costs and creating ripple-down effects on U.S. markets and consumers. Yet, with the...
Iran’s “October Surprise” for Biden—and the Rest of Us
If Iran provokes an economic crisis this election season, it could be the ultimate “October Surprise” for the Biden campaign. Iran is encircling Israel and moving to choke off America’s...
Strikes Against the Houthis Need Congressional Approval
Although many instances of U.S. military assistance, deployments, and operations overseas are controversial—for example, military aid to support indiscriminate Israeli bombing of Gaza, assistance to Ukraine to beat back the...