Regional tensions have spiked in the MENA region and adjoining waters since Israel started its inhumane assault on Gaza following the October 7 attacks. The Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman, and the Red Sea became highly militarized zones with the influx of Western warships and the movement of regional Navies amid conflict in Gaza.
The United States and allies set up a multinational naval task force in early December for the Red Sea following a flurry of missile and drone attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on merchant vessels. Recently, an Iranian Destroyer Alborz entered the Red Sea through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a strategic waterway on the southern tip of the Red Sea that caused a grave risk to regional peace and stability.
Currently, regional tension mounted as the United States and its allies have been accusing Tehran of providing crucial support to Houthis for their recent attacks on Israeli-flagged cargo vessels together with attacks on US troops in Iraq in recent days. The US Navy targeted Houthi rebels attempting to board a cargo ship off Yemen, killing 10 fighters and sinking their boats. Meanwhile, the British government also expressed readiness to take direct action against the Houthis to deter threats to freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
Red Sea a vital shipping route has drawn into the regional tension which spilled over from the ongoing Hamas-Israel Conflict in Gaza. Houthi rebels use missiles and drones to target Israeli and American ships sailing through the important sea routes that deal in nearly 12 per cent of global trade passes through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. These international waters are open to all countries and at times staunch adversaries including the US, the NATO and Iranian ships amassed in the area, while the chances for any intentional/accidental mishap have increased many folds.
The Western coalition which is a long-held opponent of Iranian revolution and its nuclear activities is currently seeking an opportunity to attack Iran to permanently remove the risks animating out of Tehran. The situation in the Red Sea can turn any time into wider conflict if both sides do not observe caution. This adventure will cost a huge price to the world if escalates in the future.
