The Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen are going to have a much more difficult time targeting vessels in the Red Sea, thanks to the 2020 Abraham Accords peace accord between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco.
An agreement creating a land bridge between the port of Dubai and the port of Haifa has reportedly been signed to “overcome the Yemeni threat to close the shipping lanes,” according to unconfirmed reports in foreign media.
If the report is true, companies moving cargo and other supplies in the Red Sea will have the option to sending their cargo from the Persian Gulf port of Dubai to the Mediterranean port of Haifa by land.
Moreover, one need only to look at a map to see that Saudi Arabia and Jordan are undoubtedly involved as well.
The land bridge would create a solution for those whose vessels are being targeted while sailing near the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the mouth of the Red Sea, well within range of Houthi hijacking, drone and missile fire.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan confirmed at a briefing this week that the US is discussing the establishment of a “naval task force in the Red Sea” with American allies, many of whom are affected by the security risk.
Likewise, US envoy to Yemen, Tim Lenderking, is expected to travel to the Gulf region this week to “coordinate on protecting maritime security in the Red Sea,” according to a statement from the State Department.
Multiple Vessels Attacked by Iranian-Backed Houthis in the Red Sea
Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have been ramping up their attacks on Israeli-linked and other commercial vessels as they traverse the international waterway.
The USS Carney, an American naval Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, has been intercepting kamikaze drone and missile attacks aimed at the Israeli Red Sea resort city of Eilat – and at its own vessel — for weeks, while also responding to distress calls from vessels targeted by the Houthis while sailing the Red Sea.
This past weekend, the Houthis claimed responsibility for multiple attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, including a badly damaged cargo ship from the United Kingdom sailing under the flag of Bahamas.
