RAISING THE STAKES

Iranian Spy Vessel Directs Houthi Rebel Attacks in Red Sea: WSJ

This news comes after Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin established Operation Prosperity Guardian for “ensuring freedom of navigation for all countries.”

Iran is supplying Houthi rebels in Yemen with military intelligence and weapons such as ballistic missiles and drones to strike commercial ships in the Red Sea, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, crediting Western and regional security representatives. United States National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson also confirmed the findings to CNN. CNN previously found that the Houthis have perpetrated over 100 attacks on roughly a dozen merchant vessels over the past month. The Iranian mission to the United Nations did not respond to a request for comment from WSJ. In response, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian on Monday “with the goal of ensuring freedom of navigation for all countries and bolstering regional security and prosperity.” Air Force Major General and Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder said in a Thursday press conference that more than 20 nations have signed on. The Houthi rebels’ attacks on ships they blame for supporting Israel’s war on Hamas have skyrocketed since Oct. 7, and companies like BP have stopped shipments through the Red Sea as a result. Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior Houthi official, told Al Jazeera on Monday that they would fight the U.S. and any other countries who challenged them.