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An Offensive Strategy Against the Houthi Threat
(RealClear Defense) Kevin Zhang - Multiple intelligence sources indicate that Iran is facilitating talks between the Houthi rebels and Russia to secure Russian P-800 Oniks anti-ship cruise missiles, significantly boosting the Houthis' capacity to target vessels in the Red Sea. The Red Sea is a critical artery for global commerce. Yet the U.S. has largely failed to effectively address the growing Houthi threat. The Biden administration seems to believe that continued downing of Houthi missiles will act as a deterrent, which has not proven to be the case. Instead, the U.S. should go on the offense against the Houthis by going after their command and control centers, logistical infrastructures, arms shipments, and drone production facilities. Without a shift to an offensive posture, the Houthi threat will persist. Failure to decisively neutralize the Houthis would only signal that their aggression successfully pressures the West. The Houthi threat warrants serious attention because the group undermines the principle of freedom of navigation. Once this principle is compromised, it opens the door for other malicious actors to challenge it in critical regions. The writer is a research assistant at the Yorktown Institute.