As if the attacks on Israel weren't bad enough, there is yet another problem in the Middle East. The Iran-backed Houthi's are ramping up their aggression, which has led to what they are calling a Red Sea shipping crisis. And it's only getting worse.
"What they're doing is, they are targeting western ships" said Rob Handfield, supply chain expert and professor at N.C. State, "And they'll destroy a ship, or they'll force the crew to abandon ship, and this is causing real havoc."
There is also the problem that has barely been mentioned and that is, the Houthi's have attacked or threatened U.S. Navy and commercial vessels 230 times.
"That's not good" Handfield told KTRH, "It's happening so often now that they don't even keep track of it anymore, unfortunately. And what has happened is that shipping lines have just decided to completely avoid that region."
And that means rising costs, and threats to supply chains. Case in point, a 40-foot shipping container that cost $1,600 at the end of last year, now costs $6,000.
Republicans are blaming the Biden administration for not halting Houthi's.