How to tackle the Houthis’ expanded threat
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It is easy to fall for the illusion that the Houthi threat to shipping in the Red Sea has receded. For months, images of burning vessels and missile attacks did not dominate news bulletins as they did at the height of the crisis. Yet recent developments have demonstrated that this lull did not mark the end of the threat. Rather, it was a transitional period in which the danger itself became an instrument of deterrence, negotiation and economic pressure.
On Monday, the Houthis went a step further, announcing what they described as a “naval blockade” and warning shipping companies against loading or unloading cargo at any Red Sea port. They threatened that vessels failing to comply could be targeted wherever they came within the reach of Houthi military capabilities. The threat was therefore no longer confined to ships alleged to be linked to Israel or bound for Israeli ports.
