Houthi Red Sea Attacks Exemplify Why Appeasement Policies Failed

Ansar Allah, commonly called the Houthis, is a Yemeni-based Zaidi Shia militant and political organization that directly answers to the Mullahs of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Fighting an insurgency against the Yemeni government since 2004, the Houthi movement took control of the powder keg of the Arab Spring and captured a vast swath of the population centers of Yemen, including the capital of Sanaa.

Initially declared a terrorist organization under the Trump Administration, the current Biden Administration reversed his predecessor’s policies in hopes of salvaging an already lukewarm nuclear deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Hoping the Houthis would continue to reconcile with various Yemeni factions and the Saudi government, instead, the Iranian-backed organization has resorted to its old ways, indiscriminately attacking commercial vessels and firing missiles toward US ally Israel. After weeks of missile interceptions, the US-led coalition in the Red Sea realized appeasement against Iranian proxies was failing, and military action was necessary to maintain the status quo.

The Houthi Attacks on Commercial Vessels and Israel

In lieu of the Israel-Hamas War and IDF invasion of Gaza, the Houthi Movement declared formal military intervention in the conflict. Already carrying a banner that calls for a “curse upon Jews,” intervening in an Israeli-Iranian proxy conflict was to be expected of the Yemeni-based militants.

The Houthis first started by firing ballistic missiles at Israel, one of which was shot down by Saudi Arabia and the others by the new Israeli Arrow missile defense system in space. Changing tactics as the Iranian-made ballistic missiles do not affect Israel, the Houthis are now resorting to terroristic piracy.

For the past several months, Houthi pirates have been firing upon commercial vessels, claiming many were arriving towards Israel’s ports, even when most of the foreign-flagged ships are only passing through the Red Sea and not stopping at the Port of Haifa. Ansar Allah apprehended a Bahamian-flagged vessel along with the entire crew on November 19th, and the group has caused major rerouting of the Red Sea, effectively hampering global shipping.

Operation Prosperity Guardian

In light of Ansar Allah’s piracy, the United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced Operation Prosperity Guardian to protect international commercial vessels in the region.

Operation Prosperity Guardian includes the United States, taking the lead, which is supplemented by allies such as the UK, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and other undisclosed nations.

The operation so far included interceptions of ballistic missiles and drones originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen with limited strikes to avoid a wider war.

Ansar Allah is showing no signs of slowing down and continued to ramp up attacks, including one on a Singaporean-flagged vessel, which became the first direct US military engagement on December 30th, 2023. Formulating a plan of engagement, the Times reported that London and Washington are finalizing targeted action against Ansar Allah, which would most likely include strikes on launching pads, ammunition depots, and command and control centers. Strikes are ongoing, though nothing has directly mitigated Houthi piracy thus far.

Emboldened by Appeasement and Lessons Learned

A significant blunder was that the Houthis were removed from the terrorist designation list by the current Biden Administration to send desperately needed food aid to a malnourished Yemen. The Administration is also trying to salvage the Iranian nuclear deal.

Wanting to avoid a direct war with the Islamic Republic, the Mullahs have taken the current US foreign policy as a sign of weakness. Not just in Yemen, but Syria and Iraq are also witnessing an uptick of attacks against American forces. Each of the attacks in the region is directly linked to Tehran, as none of the militias would risk a military confrontation with Washington unless given the green light by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Despite numerous attacks on American troops in Iraq and Syria, Central Command has rarely responded and reciprocated in force, most likely a policy in hopes a regional war will not come.

Due to the lukewarm policies that can be perceived as appeasement, Israel, like the United Kingdom, also stated they are preparing a significant response to such attacks from the Houthis, Hezbollah, and other Iranian-controlled militias if DC continues towards a lukewarm strategy.

Calls to turn back from the nuclear deal are growing, especially as the Mullahs are not keeping their end of the agreement. Enrichment continues to rise, much to the shock of the International Atomic Energy Agency. The IRGC continues to supplement Russia’s logistics with Shahid drones, and links are becoming evident with Iranian involvement in the October 7th attacks.

Threatening direct military action against American and Allied forces, the Houthis and the Iranian Mullahs have proved appeasement policies are failing, and deterrence should once again be at the forefront of American foreign policy in the future.