The Houthi Attacks on Shipping and Maritime Security

The Houthis have attacked over one hundred merchant ships and threatened undersea cables as well as oil and gas pipelines in the Gulf of Aden, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the Red Sea since the Israel–Gaza conflict began in October 2023. Like the attacks in the Strait of Malacca and the earlier Somali piracy crisis, these incidents have occurred at two of the five major chokepoints in global maritime trade. Taking place adjacent to the piracy-ridden Somali coast, the attacks have endangered ships and their crews, undermined maritime security, hampered international humanitarian efforts, threatened freedom of navigation, and increased both the costs and transit times of commercial shipping and global energy supplies. This article assesses these impacts, focusing on whether the attacks constitute a threat to maritime safety in contravention of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), as amended, and to maritime security (piracy, armed robbery against ships (ARAS), maritime terrorism, and related offences) under the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation (SUA Convention).