Austin says he plans to convene a meeting of ministers from the Middle East and beyond on Tuesday to address attacks by the Yemeni group.
“We’ll have more details on this soon, but we’re going to make sure that we’re doing everything that we can to ensure freedom of navigation in the area. The straits are pretty important, as you know – a large amount of commerce flows through there … on a daily basis.” Austin said
The Houthis have attacked numerous vessels in recent weeks, saying they are targeting ships in the Red Sea with links to Israel in protest of its military offensive in Gaza.
The attacks have disrupted maritime trade and prompted warnings from Washington and its allies.
Source: alJazeera
