Yemeni leader claims US ignored warnings about rising Houthi threat

A top Yemeni official accused the U.S. of having repeatedly ignored warnings about the threat Houthi rebels could pose to international trade.

Maj. Gen. Aidarus al-Zubaidi, who serves as vice president of Yemen’s U.N.-acknowledged government, says he raised concerns with U.S. and British officials at the U.N. General Assembly in September.

“They wrote everything down,” al-Zubaidi told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this weekend. “They didn’t do anything.”

Specifically, al-Zubaidi says he warned that the Houthis were regrouping and rearming at the time and were capable of conducting major operations.

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The U.S. military has struggled to handle Houthi attacks on international trade vessels in the Red Sea for months. Houthi missiles have targeted numerous vessels, including those owned by U.S., Israeli and U.K. companies.

Houthi small boats have also attempted to hijack multiple ships.

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In response, the U.S. military and other allied countries have shot down dozens of Houthi missiles and drones over the Red Sea. The U.S. has also conducted airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen.

Many shipping companies have paused shipments through the Red Sea or even suspended them indefinitely as a result. Shell on Tuesday announced that it would no longer send its vessels through the region.

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Ships seeking an alternative must travel south around Africa to reach the Atlantic, a detour that adds weeks to trips.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security adviser Jake Sullivan are each scheduled to speak at the WEF regarding how to calm tensions in the Middle East.