Houthi Red Sea Attacks
2024 Jan 12A Militia Disrupts 12% of Global Trade
Beginning in November 2023, Yemen's Houthis launched sustained Red Sea shipping attacks claiming Palestinian solidarity. The U.S. and UK responded with airstrikes — the first direct Western military engagement in the Yemeni conflict.
Attacks disrupted 12% of global trade. Shipping rerouted around Cape of Good Hope, adding 10-14 days and $1 million per voyage. Container rates spiked 300% from pre-crisis levels.
A non-state actor with Iranian missiles imposed a tax on global commerce. The Houthis demonstrated asymmetric warfare threatens globalization's arteries at minimal cost. U.S.-UK strikes degraded capability but could not eliminate the threat without regime change. Global trade routes are only as secure as the weakest chokepoint. Do military responses eliminate non-state actors without addressing political drivers?