• The Houthis appear determined to strike US and allied warships in the Red Sea.
• The United States and Europe have committed a significant naval presence to fight Yemeni rebels.
• The Houthis launched tons of missiles and drones at Western warships, but hit none.

The Houthis appear determined to strike U.S. and European warships as part of their campaign of attacks in the Red Sea, a senior U.S. State Department official said.

“Our leaders are all extremely concerned about the Houthis’ determination to seemingly strike us – to strike our friends – in the Red Sea, by their persistence in doing so, by their determination to do better at what they are doing,” he said. US special envoy for “Yemen,” Tim Lenderking told Business Insider in a recent interview.

The United States and the European Union have maintained a significant naval presence in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden over the past year in an effort to defend key merchant shipping lanes against relentless missile and drone attacks by the Iran-backed Houthis.

The U.S. Navy, in particular, has devoted significant firepower to the anti-Houthi mission. The naval force is regularly composed of a aircraft carriers and several other warships capable of air defense and ground attack operations.

Yemeni rebels have launched more than 130 attacks targeting military and civilian vessels. Last week they fired a series of missiles and drones on two American destroyers as they crossed the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait.

“We shot down just about everything they shot at us,” Lenderking said. But this is an evolving threat. A major concern, he said, is that Russia could try to help the Houthis, a potential development he called “evil.”

Despite their efforts, the Houthis have not yet achieved a Western military ship during their campaign. However, they struck a number of commercial ships, sinking two and hijacking one (its crew remains detained in Yemen almost a year later). Four civilians sailors were killed until now due to rebel attacks.

American warships are frequently tasked with intercept Houthi threatsincluding attack drones and anti-ship missiles, over the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. US forces operating in the region carry out airstrikes in Yemen against the rebels. Last week, the Pentagon said it had carried out large-scale strikes targeting its weapons storage facilities.

“We will continue to make clear to the Houthis that there will be consequences for their unlawful and reckless attacks,” Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told reporters at the time.

U.S. officials have regularly said Washington is determined to repel Houthi attacks, which have disrupted a key global supply route.

Shipping via the Red Sea typically accounts for up to 15% of international maritime trade, but attacks reduced activity by this route and forced ships to make longer and more expensive journeys around Africa, according to a U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency report released earlier this year.

The impact of the attacks is also visible at the local level. Lenderking said Yemen-bound ships carrying humanitarian or commercial supplies were forced to divert, increasing costs in the country. “Fewer ships are docking in Yemen’s ports because of what the Houthis are doing,” he said.