The U.S. and its allies are making a costly mistake in their response to Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the United Nations’ former special envoy for Yemen has said, as the rebel group meets the Western bombing campaign with yet more strikes. 

Jamal Benomar, who was the UN representative in Yemen from 2011 to 2015 and was involved in talks to end the country’s devastating civil war, told Newsweek that only a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip can stem near-daily maritime attacks. 

“Historically, looking back at what's happened since 2011 with the U.S. leading the charge against the Houthis, they have consistently miscalculated,” Benomar said. President Joe Biden, he added, is now risking another strategic disaster.  

“Opening this front against the Houthis in the Red Sea, I think, is another miscalculation. Their mindset is completely different and doesn’t respond to this.” 

The Iran-aligned Houthis—officially known as Ansar Allah—launched their Red Sea campaign in protest of Israel’s ongoing offensive on the Gaza Strip, an operation aimed at destroying Hamas in response to the militant group’s October 7 surprise attack into southern Israel. The Hamas-led assault killed some 1,200 people and saw more than 250 taken hostage. 

Six months on, Israel has killed more than 31,000 Palestinians in the Strip—per figures reported by the Associated Press citing the Gaza Health Ministry, displaced the majority of its 2.3 million residents, and razed swaths of the territory. Houthi leaders have said they will continue disrupting shipping in the Red Sea while Israeli “crimes in Gaza” continue. 

Initial U.S. and U.K. airstrikes on Houthi targets in January have been followed by more. But the Houthis are committed to the campaign and have been increasing its tempo and scope. “Their area of operations is more widespread, the weapons they use are more sophisticated, new weapons are being used, and they’ve increased the number of attacks,” Benomar said.  

“I think the U.S. and U.K. are at a loss of what to do. Their stated objective—which is to degrade the Houthis so that they will not be able to threaten any ship in the Red Sea—didn't work. They couldn't achieve that objective. The Houthis are much more belligerent, much more aggressive, much more determined to continue.” 

“The Houthi calculation is that the confrontation with the U.S. will make them even more popular among the population,” Benomar said. “And as a result, they will be able to recruit more fighters so they can finish the civil war with a total victory over their political opponents, who are supported by Saudi Arabia and the UAE.” 

“If they withstood eight years of aerial bombardment from the Saudis, they feel they can withstand the same level—or more—of bombardment from the U.S. and U.K.”

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