WASHINGTON: Twelve nations led by the United States have jointly warned Yemen’s Houthis of unspecified consequences unless they halt their attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea.

The statement, released by the White House on Wednesday, comes after several reports that Presi­dent Joe Biden’s administration is considering direct strikes on Houthis if the attacks continue.

“Let our message now be clear: we call for the immediate end of these illegal attacks and release of unlawfully detained vessels and crews,” said the statement.

“The Houthis will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy and free flow of commerce in the region’s critical waterways.”

Signatories of the statement included the UK, which on Monday issued its own warning to the Houthis of “direct action”, as well as Australia, Canada, Germany and Japan.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on X that they were “united” in their stance.

“The Houthis must end their deadly and destabilising attacks on vessels in the Red Sea,” he wrote.

“The UK will always take action to defend freedom of navigation.”

The only regional country to sign was Bahrain, a Gulf state that has particularly tense relations with Iran, which supports the Houthis.

The Houthis say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians by targeting ships with links to Israel.

The United States has sent an aircraft carrier, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, to the area and earlier announced a coalition of countries to protect movement in the Red Sea, through which 12 per cent of global trade passes.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2024