The war in the Red Sea appears to have receded. Don’t be fooled. The Houthis are active pawns of China, which has a base in Djibouti, as well as of Iran. They attack shipping they claim is going to Israel as well as US naval vessels. In the first two months of 2024, traffic into the Suez Canal dropped 50% from a year earlier; forcing international trade to take the long way around Africa drives up costs. More importantly, says our guest Dr. David Wurmser, it “undermines one of the primary functions of the United States Navy, which is to be the guarantor of freedom of the seas.”
Dr. Wurmser is Senior Analyst, Center for Security Policy and Director of its Middle East program. He is a retired naval intelligence officer.
