Trump's Middle East challenges: Airstrikes in Red Sea conflict
The American army, which has been working for about a year to establish order in the Red Sea, launched airstrikes on Yemeni Houthi militants' weapon warehouses over the weekend. This action followed a statement by the rebel leader, who declared that Donald Trump will "fail" in the Middle East.
During the election campaign, the U.S. president-elect confidently promised that he could establish peace between Ukraine and Russia "with a single phone call," but the potential cost remains unclear. According to Donald Trump's advisors, Moscow might be pleased, but not Kyiv.
Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin's press secretary, acknowledged that ending the war "with a single phone call" is an exaggeration and an unrealistic scenario. However, in a Sunday interview with state media, he admitted that the Kremlin sees "positive signals" from Donald Trump regarding this conflict. Russian President Vladimir Putin has also expressed approval of the Republican victory in the presidential elections.
The situation in the Middle East appears more complicated for Trump, at least initially. The crisis in the Red Sea, where Houthi militants have disrupted international trade, suggests that the Republican's second term in the White House may not bring de-escalation to the region.
Trump criticized for supporting Israel
Abdul Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Yemeni militants, criticized Trump after he was elected president for his support of Israel, which is currently involved in two land operations—one in the Gaza Strip in response to a Hamas attack in October 2023 and another in Lebanon against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.
While the Saudi crown prince, among others, expressed optimism about Trump's return to the White House, the leader of the Yemeni militants noted that Trump's previous term did not lead to the normalization of relations between Arab countries and Israel or end the Middle East conflicts. According to the Saudi television service Al-Arabiya, Al-Houthi stated that the Republican will "fail" during his second term.
Three days after this statement, the American military, alongside British forces, conducted airstrikes on Houthi weapon warehouses as part of efforts to protect tankers from militant attacks. Saudi media reported visible explosions in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, among other places.
Media: Russia helps yemeni militants
Similar Western operations have not dismantled Houthi capabilities, just as Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip have not disarmed Hamas. Meanwhile, sea transport along this crucial trade route between Europe and China now takes a longer, more expensive detour around Africa.
The consequences for the West extend beyond this. Militants have also begun attacking airplanes, prompting Air France to suspend flight routes over the Red Sea.
Further complicating matters, journalists from the "Wall Street Journal" reported that Russia is providing Yemeni Houthi militants with satellite data for attacks on Western nations' ships. These actions demonstrate "how far Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to go to undermine the U.S.-led Western economic and political order," according to "WSJ" journalists, adding urgency to Washington's need to resolve the crisis.
The Red Sea has been burning for a year
"There are no signs of de-escalation and it is not safe for our vessels or personnel to go there ... Our expectation at this point is that it will last well into 2025," said Vincent Clerc, CEO of the transport giant Maersk.
In protest against Israel's military intervention in the Gaza Strip, the Houthi militants have launched missile and drone attacks on vessels in the Red Sea. Since November 2023, they have targeted over 100 ships, sinking two and hijacking another. Four sailors have lost their lives in these attacks.
The Yemeni rebels' actions have severely disrupted global trade, forcing shipping companies to reroute ships via the Cape of Good Hope, a longer and more costly journey than through the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Nearly one in ten barrels of oil is shipped daily through this strait, which separates the Red Sea from the Indian Ocean. In August 2024, tanker traffic on this route was 77 percent lower compared to October 2023, according to Windward AI, a maritime industry company.
By April 2024, the U.S. had spent about $1 billion on ammunition to destroy Houthi drones and rockets and protect shipping in the Red Sea. In early October, the U.S. deployed B-2 Spirit bombers to target the militants' arsenal.
