Red Sea Houthi Attacks: A Core Issue Facing Congress

Key Chapter Title List

1. Houthi Forces: Background, Conflict, and Iranian Support
2. Attack Operations in the Red Sea and Surrounding Areas
3. U.S. Response Measures
4. Core Issues Facing Congress
5. Military Capabilities of the Houthi Forces
6. Iran's Material and Advisory Support for the Houthi Forces
7. Operation "Prosperity Guardian" and Multinational Coalition Deployment
8. United Nations Security Council Resolution 2722
9. Legal Basis and Authorization Controversy for Military Strikes
10. Shipping Route Diversions and Economic Impact
11. Risk of Regional Conflict Escalation
12. Factors Influencing the Yemen Peace Process

Document Introduction

Since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, and the escalation of the Gaza situation, the Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi forces (Ansar Allah) have targeted Israeli territory and commercial vessels and naval ships near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. This strait, a critical maritime chokepoint, directly impacts the global shipping network through its security situation. Despite a series of response measures taken by the United States, the United Kingdom, and their allies—including intercepting projectiles, forming a Red Sea patrol coalition, implementing sanctions, and conducting precision strikes—Houthi attacks have persisted, forcing shipping route diversions and driving up transportation costs.

This report systematically outlines the evolution of the conflict from October 2023 to September 2024, with a focus on analyzing the organizational background, ideological leanings, and military capability development of the Houthi forces. As a political and insurgent movement centered on Zaydi Shiite revivalism, the Houthi forces have gradually consolidated local power since their founding in 2004. After seizing Yemen's capital, Sana'a, in 2014, they became embroiled in a prolonged confrontation with the Saudi-led coalition. Their military arsenal includes ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, drones, and unmanned surface/underwater vehicles. Iran's continuous material supply, advisory support, and target intelligence provision form a crucial pillar of their operational capabilities.

The report details the multi-layered responses from the international community: the UN Security Council passed Resolution 2722 condemning the attacks and affirming member states' right to self-defense; the United States and the United Kingdom jointly conducted multiple strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen from January to February 2024; Operation "Prosperity Guardian," comprising 24 nations, has conducted maritime patrols since December 2023, with the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command leading the related military deployments. Simultaneously, the report reconstructs the domestic policy debates in the United States, including congressional criticism of the Biden administration's response intensity, debates over the legal authorization for military actions, and the proposal process to re-designate the Houthi forces as "Specially Designated Global Terrorists" and a "Foreign Terrorist Organization."

Based on cumulative attack data and event tracking up to September 2024, the report provides an in-depth analysis of the conflict's multi-dimensional impacts: commercial shipping route adjustments and surging costs, the risk of regional conflict expansion, the potential for a resumption of Yemen's civil war, and the impact on the UN-led Yemen peace process. This report provides Congress and policymakers with a comprehensive factual foundation and analytical framework to aid their decision-making on key issues such as defense appropriations, authorization for the use of military force, and adjustments to Middle East strategy.