Reckless attacks by Houthi threatened navigation in one of most vital waterways: Jake Sullivan

DAVOS: United States National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said that the US has been working with nations in the international response to new aggression by the Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.

He said that "reckless attacks" by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have threatened navigation in one of the most vital waterways.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Jake Sullivan said, "We have also worked with ... in the international response to new aggression in the Middle East, in the Red Sea reckless attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles has threatened navigation in one of the most vital waterways. More than 50 nations have been affected in the nearly 30 attacks."

"Last week, the United States and United Kingdom with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and Netherlands struck a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthis to stage and launch these attacks. This defensive action followed extensive multinational coordination led by the US among 44 nations to condemn Houthi attacks and also led to a UN Security Council resolution condemning those attacks. We are not looking for regional conflict, far from it through a combination of steady deterrence and steadfast diplomacy, we seek to stop the spread of conflict and create the conditions for de-escalation," he added.

He said that the US's approach in the region remains focused on stability in the region. He said that before the October 7 attacks, US was making efforts to secure a political horizon for the Palestinian people.

Speaking about the Biden administration's approach before the war, Sullivan said that the US felt another round of direct negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians was unlikely to succeed.

"Our approach is and remains focused on moving towards ....and stability in the region. Long before October 7, United States was deeply engaged in the effort to secure a political horizon for Palestinian people with Israeli security guaranteed as part of that," he said.

"We judged the direct negotiations between Israel and Palestinians which had fallen short so many before unlikely to succeed. We determined that the best approach was to work toward a package deal that involved normalization between Israel and key Arab states together with meaningful progress and a political horizon for the Palestinian people," he added.

Since November, Houthi rebels, who are an Iran-aligned group, started the strikes in retaliation for Israel's Gaza conflict. The Houthis have said that they will not stop attacking until Israel ends the hostilities in Gaza.

Stressing that US wanted to secure a political horizon for Palestinians before the Hamas attack on October 7, Sullivan said, "That was our goal before October 7, and it was our progress toward that goal that Hamas sought to destroy on October 7, when they came across the border into the Israel viciously massacred 1200 people, took more than 200 hostages and then turned into ...hiding behind the innocent population and vowing to commit October 7 again and again."

"That is the reality that Israel is contending with. A determined terrorist threat that shows as its battlefield the communities of innocent civilians and still to this date holds more than 100 hostages in circumstances that are dire and deteriorated. Now, this does not lessen at all Israel's responsibility to conduct its campaign in a way that upholds international humanitarian law and abides by the moral and strategic necessary to distinguish between terrorists and innocent civilians."

Sullivan said that US is going to look to its partners to continue making clear that violent disruption of the international system will fail. He said that US will remain committed to diplomacy which he stressed is vital as the geopolitical tensions rise.

"When it comes to world politics, people around this planet are much more interested in whether or not their lives are improving than in anyone's imperial ambition or imperial project. So as long as we continue to be focused on offering a global value proposition that delivers for people that is serious about shared economic growth, tackling climate change, managing new technologies and promoting good governments, our model will remain much more attractive globally than that of aggression or coercion or intimidation or confrontation," Sullivan said.

"So we're going to stay the course and look to our partners, including all of you, to continue with us to make clear that violent disruption of the international system will fail, to remain committed to diplomacy, which is even more vital as geopolitical tensions rise and to take steps needed to lead in the sources of technological and economic growth that will be the foundation of success and strength in free societies," he added.