Washington has levelled accusations against Tehran for its alleged involvement in the hostilities led by the Houthi movement, Ansar Allah, against vessels traversing the Red Sea en route to Israel. These allegations emerge against the backdrop of the Israeli occupation's ongoing war on the Gaza Strip, which commenced on October 7th.
Adrienne Watson, spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council, stated that Iran is heavily implicated in planning operations against commercial ships in the Red Sea. In a statement released by the White House, she added that the United States has no reason to believe Iran is attempting to deter the Houthis from what she described as reckless conduct.
The statement further noted that Iran provides substantial support to the Houthis, including the deployment of advanced weapon systems, intelligence support, financial assistance, and training.
According to the U.S. official, Iranian support has enabled the Houthis to attack Israel and maritime targets in the Red Sea throughout the Gaza crisis, even though Iran often defers operational decision-making to the Houthis themselves, per Watson's words.
Watson added that the United States, which has formed a military coalition with the stated aim of protecting maritime navigation freedom in the region, is engaged in "intensive consultations with its allies and partners" on how to respond to these attacks.
Iran Denies
As per Reuters, the Iran-backed Houthis target commercial vessels in the Red Sea with drones and missiles, forcing shipping companies to alter their course, taking longer routes around Africa. The Houthis claim their attacks intend to support the Palestinians besieged by Israel in Gaza.
The agency further reports that Iran denies any involvement in the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
The Wall Street Journal reported – citing Western and regional security officials – that an Iranian spy ship is assisting the Houthis in their assaults on vessels. However, the paper also relayed a statement from an Ansar Allah "Houthi" group spokesperson asserting that they do not rely on Iran for aid in conducting their attacks, and noted the pinpoint targeting of ships navigating the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, despite radio shutoffs.
Separately, the paper reported, based on officials' accounts, that an Iranian ship provided the Houthis with information to attack commercial vessels passing through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that the Danish shipping company Maersk Line would increase fees for container shipping from Asia due to the rerouting of trips from the Red Sea to the Cape of Good Hope. The company stated that their vessels would avoid the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden due to multiple attacks in the area. The new surcharges would take effect starting next month as a response to what the Danish firm described as "severe operational disruption."
