Several officials who spoke to Politico say that the Biden administration is drawing up military response options as the Gaza war is threatening to expand into a broader regional conflagration. After months of Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis taking potshots at Israel as well as commercial (and military!) vessels in the Red Sea with impunity, the Pentagon could finally hit back—but only after admin officials have become worried over the impact that "doing nothing" would have on the upcoming November election. Middle East quagmires remain unpopular among voters, but so is doing absolutely nothing as things only spiral, and as Washington has refused thus far to place limits on Israel's brutal military campaign in Gaza.
The Politico report was issued the same day (Thurs) that White House national security spokesman John Kirby was asked by a reporter whether the Red Sea shipping crisis in particular would become a "pocketbook" issue for Americans. Kirby said "It would depend on how long this threat goes and on how much more energetic the Houthis think they might become." He added: "Right now we haven’t seen an uptick or a specific effect on the U.S. economy. But make no mistake. This is a key international waterway. Countries more and more are becoming aware of this increasing threat to the free flow of commerce."
Western economies are indeed likely to increasingly feel the effects, given Danish shipping giant Maersk confirmed on Friday that it is extending its directive for all its vessels to avoid the Red Sea for the "foreseeable future" amid the ongoing Houthi attacks. "The situation is constantly evolving and remains highly volatile, and all available intelligence at hand confirms that the security risk continues to be at a significantly elevated level," Maersk said. This of course means the significantly longer route around the Cape of Good Hope.
