The Houthis' Attacks on Ships in the Middle East: Why the US Hasn't Retaliated

The US has refrained from retaliating against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen who have been escalating their attacks on ships in the Red Sea. While the US has conducted airstrikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria, it has not taken military action against the Houthis. This is due to concerns about destabilizing the fragile truce in Yemen and triggering a wider conflict in the region. The US maintains that there is a difference between the attacks by the Houthis and those by the Iran-backed militias. However, US officials have not ruled out the possibility of military action and are discussing the use of a naval task force to escort commercial ships in the Red Sea.