US, allies put Houthis on notice over shipping attacks after Pentagon readies strike options

WASHINGTON — The United States and a dozen other countries issued an apparent ultimatum to Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Wednesday, warning that the Iran-backed faction "will bear the responsibility of the consequences" should it continue to attack commercial ships in and around the Red Sea.

"Ongoing Houthi attacks in the Red Sea are illegal, unacceptable and profoundly destabilizing," read a statement released by the White House and co-signed by Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom.

The attacks pose "a direct threat to the freedom of navigation that serves as the bedrock of global trade in one of the world’s most critical waterways," the statement continued.

"We call for the immediate end of these illegal attacks and release of unlawfully detained vessels and crews. The Houthis will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy and free flow of commerce in the region’s critical waterways."