Hard choices for the West in Red Sea stand-off - BBC News

Most of the world deplores the Houthi attacks on shipping, but there are barriers which make it difficult for the West to stop them.

2 days agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated TopicsIsrael-Gaza warImage source, PA MediaImage caption, The UK's HMS Diamond and three US warships helped shoot down the Houthi drones and missilesBy Frank GardnerBBC security correspondentThe mass attack by Yemen's Houthi rebels against vessels in the Red Sea on 9 January was their biggest yet and it signals two things.

Firstly, the Iranian-backed Houthis, who control their country's Red Sea coastline, are not backing down in the face of international pressure.

Secondly, they clearly have a powerful arsenal of missiles and drones and they are not afraid to launch them at Western warships.

In the event, all 21 drones and missiles were shot down by a combination of US Navy F/A-18 fighter jets and missiles launched from US and British warships.

But this is expensive, very expensive, and the Houthis know it.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-67938290?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

---