Commentary: The US has a serious problem in the Red Sea as it tries to manage conflict in the Middle East

A decade ago, the Houthis were a ragtag group of fighters based in the north of Yemen that most people hadn’t even heard of. Today, the movement-turned-de facto government in Yemen is causing so much trouble in the Red Sea that some of the world’s largest shipping companies are no longer sailing through its waters.

Since the Israel-Hamas war erupted Oct. 7, the Houthis have taken potshots against civilian vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait chokepoint heading into the Red Sea. Attack drones and ballistic missiles have been launched from Houthi-controlled areas along Yemen’s coastline, in what has been the most significant armed engagement in those waters to date.