Former senior defense leaders argue that Houthi attacks must be targeted at Iran

Several current and former heads of state believe the United States must target Iran to stop Houthi attacks on commercial vessels sailing in the previously busy waterways off the coast of Yemen.

These attacks began on November 19, 2023. The Houthis said they carried out these attacks in solidarity with Palestinians affected by the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. According to a US defense official, they attacked or threatened US Navy ships and merchant vessels 190 times from then until June 13.

U.S. officials have long accused Iran of supplying weapons to the Houthis as one of Tehran’s proxy forces in the region. As the Houthis’ attacks continue and show no signs of abating, former defense officials argue the department must focus on Iran to stop the Houthis’ attacks.

“We have not effectively pressured Iran to stop this behavior, even if that means increasing the pressure on them. I’m not necessarily suggesting that we should go into downtown Tehran and set off bombs, but there are some things we need to do to put pressure on them,” retired General Joseph Votel told the Washington Examiner.

The US has carried out several attacks on Houthi launch sites and depots, but this was not enough to destroy the Houthi arsenal or deter them from further attacks.

“Unfortunately, it has not gone deep enough,” added the former commander of the US Central Command. “And what I mean by that is we have not really taken the steps to really cut off the supply from Iran. Maybe that is supported by other Iranian lineage groups here that have allowed them to be supplied with resources over a long period of time.”

The Houthis have targeted more than 60 ships in their campaign, killing four sailors, hijacked one ship and sunk two others.

Republican Representative Michael McCaul (Texas), Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, made similar comments to the Washington Examiner“At some point we have to deal with the source, and that is Iran.”

At least 29 major energy and shipping companies have changed their routes to avoid the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and as of mid-February, container traffic through the Red Sea has fallen by about 90% since December 2023. They are having their ships sail around the southern tip of Africa instead of navigating the Red Sea between Africa and the Middle East. The new route is about 11,000 nautical miles longer and adds one to two weeks to transit time and about $1 million to fuel costs per trip.

Given the threat posed by the Houthis, shipping companies have had to reassess whether to allow ships to sail through the Red Sea. Before this ongoing situation, about 10 to 15 percent of international maritime trade passed through this body of water.

“The bigger problem is ultimately Iran. It is Iran that is supporting these groups. And we believe that Iran is certainly supplying the Houthis with weapons, but we also believe that Iran is helping them with targeted attacks and other things,” former Defense Secretary Mark Esper told the Washington Examiner.

He also addressed the question of what means the US military intends to use to thwart these attacks.

“This conflict has been going on for some time,” he said. “So I’m more concerned about the ability of our defense industry to produce the munitions we need for other fights in other places.”

“The challenge is that you can fire a missile like an SM-3 that destroys a target in seconds or minutes and accomplishes its mission. But it takes a good 12 months or so to replace that missile, and if we get into a major conflict with another adversary somewhere else, say in the Indo-Pacific, then we’ll have fewer missiles in our inventory. And that’s my concern,” he said.

Since the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack in Israel, which proved to be a catalyst for instability in the region, all members of Iran’s proxy network have acted against American or Israeli interests. Gaza-based Hamas receives Iranian support, as does Hezbollah, a more sophisticated terror group based in Lebanon that is engaged in a limited conflict with Israel.

The ongoing rocket and missile attacks across the shared border in northern Israel and southern Lebanon have forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of civilians on both sides.

McCaul, who met with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant this week, said Gallant had referred to Iran as “the octopus with tentacles,” “that is the Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas,” and the lawmaker added: “They are becoming more and more provocative, and even though our own military ships are in the region, (the Houthis) are slowing down commercial activity in the Red Sea.”

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Given the escalating rhetoric of leaders on both sides, the possibility of an intensified conflict between Israel and Hezbollah seems more likely than at any other point in the war. A major conflict between the two would be highly destructive and likely result in heavy casualties on both sides.

“The question is what Iran will do, especially if the fate of Hezbollah is threatened,” Esper said.