On December 31, 2023, the U.S. Navy fleet that was based off the coast of Yemen in the Red Sea responded to a distress call by a Maersk Hangzhou container ship. The distress was due to members of the Houthi who tried to attack and board the container ship. In response, the U.S. Navy sank 3 of the 4 Houthi boats that were responsible for the attack, killing 10 men onboard. While the Houthi also attempted to attack the U.S. Navy, CNN reports that no damage to U.S. personnel or equipment occurred. This is part of a broader series of Houthi attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea which began in October 2023. These attacks are forcing major shipping companies to pause or reroute shipments. There is global concern that this conflict is linked to the Israel-Hamas War as the U.S. Navy is based in Yemen to assist Israel and the Houthis are known for supporting Palestine. 

The Central Commander of the U.S. Navy released a statement saying, “The American enemy bears the consequence of this crime.” Thus, the U.S. is unwilling to acknowledge their role in continuing the violence in the region. The Houthis, in contrast, fear the influence of the U.S. in the region will prevent them from providing support to Palestine. The Central Commander denied any validity in this claim. 

While it is clear that the Houthis were the original aggressors in this conflict, the U.S. unfairly escalated the situation by sinking 3 of their boats. A better resolution policy would have been to work with correspondents from all 3 parties, the U.S. Navy, Maersk Hangzhou, and the Houthis, to negotiate a solution that is amenable to all invested stakeholders. Based on the statements made by the Central Commander of the U.S. Navy and the Houthis, there is considerable miscommunication between the groups regarding their motivations for involvement in the region. If more communication was facilitated between the groups, the Houthis would feel less oppressed by the presence of the U.S. and would feel more freely to continue offering aid to Palestinians. This solution would offer a greater amount of peace throughout a region that is already riddled with war and conflict. The instigation of a proxy war by either party would be detrimental to the stability of the region. 

This conflict is heavily linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict that erupted earlier this year. The U.S. has been an adamant ally of Israel both during the war and before. U.S. ships are stationed in the Red Sea primarily to demonstrate these close ties and to assist Israel in its endeavors. In contrast, the Houthis are an Iran-backed Yemeni rebel group that opposes Western influence in the region, especially regarding the Israel-Hamas War. The Houthis cite their attacks on commercial ships as their method of pressuring Israel to send aid to Gaza. The Houthis also have a history of attacking the U.S. Navy on the Red Sea. The New York Times reports that, in 2016, the U.S. struck 3 Houthi missile sites after being fired on by the Houthis. After the U.S. fired on the Houthis, the attacks stopped. However, due to the compounded conflict in Israel and Palestine, this secondary conflict is deeper and has more ties to the other conflicts throughout the region than the original attacks in 2016. 

If this level of escalated violence and attacks continues in the Red Sea, the animosity will compound with the Israel-Hamas conflict that is already tearing apart the region and leading to increased instability. Outside actors must call for peace in the region and find ways to show support for their allies without including violence as a form of this support. The end goal of any conflict is to arrive at a peaceful resolution, it would be beneficial for outside entities such as the U.S. and the Houthis to demonstrate peaceful methods of reacting to conflict in the region to set a new precedent and ultimately guide the greater Israel-Hamas conflict to a peaceful resolution as well.