Current:Home > MyUS national security adviser says stopping Houthi Red Sea attacks is an ‘all hands on deck’ problem-InfoLens
US national security adviser says stopping Houthi Red Sea attacks is an ‘all hands on deck’ problem
View Date:2024-12-23 11:28:03
WASHINGTON (AP) — A senior White House official said Tuesday that addressing the ongoing threat by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on commercial vessels in the Red Sea is an “all hands on deck” problem that the U.S. and allies must address together to minimize impact on the global economy.
“How long this goes on and how bad it gets comes down not just to the decisions of the countries in the coalition that took strikes last week,” White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said during an appearance at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
The Iran-backed Houthi group has launched dozens of attacks since November on vessels in the Red Sea, a vital corridor for the world’s shipping traffic, in what they say is an effort to support Palestinians in the war with Israel. U.S. and British forces have responded by carrying out dozens of air and sea strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen since Friday. The attacks by the Houthis have continued.
The Red Sea attacks have already caused significant disruptions to global trade. Oil prices have edged higher in recent days, though Brent crude futures were down slightly in early trading Tuesday. Tesla last week announced it would temporarily halt most production at its German factory because of attacks in the Red Sea.
The U.S. launched a new strike against the Houthis on Tuesday, hitting anti-ship missiles in the third assault on the Iranian-backed group in recent days. The strike came as the Iranian-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for a missile attack against the Malta-flagged bulk carrier Zografia in the Red Sea. No one was injured.
Sullivan said it was critical that countries with influence on Tehran and other Middle East capitals make it clear “that the entire world rejects wholesale the idea that a group like the Houthis can basically hijack the world.”
President Joe Biden’s senior adviser acknowledged that the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea as well as groups allied to Iran carrying out attacks in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen pose concerns that the Israel-Hamas war could escalate even as Israeli officials have indicated a shift in intensity in their military campaign.
“We have to guard against and be vigilant against the possibility that in fact, rather than heading towards de-escalation, we are on a path of escalation that we have to manage,” Sullivan said.
The comments from Sullivan came after Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, said during an appearance at the Davos forum that the situation in the Middle East is a “recipe for escalation everywhere.” He said Qatar believes that ending the conflict in Gaza will stop the Houthis and militant groups from launching attacks elsewhere in the region.
___
Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell in Jerusalem contributed reporting.
veryGood! (776)
Related
- US Open finalist Taylor Fritz talks League of Legends, why he hated tennis and how he copied Sampras
- Water conservation measures announced for Grand Canyon National Park
- No. 22 Colorado off to flying start by following lead of unconventional coach Deion Sanders
- Timeline of events leading to the impeachment of Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton
- Satire publication The Onion buys Alex Jones’ Infowars at auction with help from Sandy Hook families
- Metal debris strikes car windshield on Maine highway and comes within inches of motorist’s face
- Prosecutors in all 50 states urge Congress to strengthen tools to fight AI child sexual abuse images
- UAW presses Big 3 with audacious demands, edging closer to strike as deadline looms
- Watch out, Temu: Amazon Haul, Amazon's new discount store, is coming for the holidays
- New book details Biden-Obama frictions and says Harris sought roles ‘away from the spotlight’
Ranking
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign chancellor to step down at end of academic year
- Horoscopes Today, September 3, 2023
- Burning Man exodus: Hours-long traffic jam stalls festival-goers finally able to leave
- Keke Palmer and Darius Jackson Dance the Night Away at Beyoncé's Tour After Romance Drama
- 2025 NFL Draft order: Updated first round picks after Week 10 games
- Minnesota prison put on lockdown after about 100 inmates refuse to return to their cells
- Beyoncé's Los Angeles Renaissance Tour stops bring out Gabrielle Union, Kelly Rowland, more celebs
- Federal court rejects Alabama's congressional map, will draw new districts to boost Black voting power
Recommendation
-
Steelers' Mike Tomlin shuts down Jayden Daniels Lamar comparison: 'That's Mr. Jackson'
-
Colorado will dominate, Ohio State in trouble lead Week 1 college football overreactions
-
Helicopter and small plane collide midair in Alaska national park, injuring 1 person
-
Google Turns 25
-
It's about to be Red Cup Day at Starbucks. When is it and how to get the free coffee swag?
-
Why Whoopi Goldberg Missed The View's Season 27 Premiere
-
The Ultimatum's Riah Nelson Is Pregnant, Expecting Baby With Trey Brunson
-
Gilmore Girls Secret: The Truth About Why Rory Didn’t Go to Harvard