US proposes peace incentives to halt Houthi attacks in Red Sea

For the past six months, Yemeni Houthi rebels have targeted ships navigating through the Red Sea. According to "The National," a newspaper based in the United Arab Emirates, US authorities have proposed "incentives" to halt these attacks, based on unofficial sources.

The newspaper's online platform refers to Yemeni government sources, indicating that American suggestions were relayed through Western and Omani mediators.

A Yemeni source told "The National" that the US incentives—aimed at expediting Yemen's peace process, ending the civil war, and lifting blockades on Sana'a's airport and Hodeidah's port—require first removing the Houthis from the US list of terrorist organizations and potentially acknowledging their governance over parts of Yemen.

While US officials have not verified these claims, they acknowledge employing various, including diplomatic, strategies to dissuade the Houthis from their dangerous actions. The US Special Envoy for Yemen, Tim Lenderking, highlighted in an interview with "The National" that the United States prioritizes de-escalation and peace maintenance. The reaction of the Houthis to these offers remains unspecified by Yemeni sources.

Backed by Iran, the Houthis control most of Yemen, including Sana'a and regions in the north and west, and have targeted a crucial maritime corridor since November, aligning their actions with support for Palestinians against Israel in the Gaza Strip.

The series of attacks on vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden has impacted international trade (approximately 12 per cent of global commerce traverses the Red Sea), raising alarms over the potential expansion of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict throughout the Middle East.