The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels vowed on Tuesday to defy a U.S.-led naval mission and continue targeting Red Sea shipping off the coast of Yemen in support of Hamas.

By the numbers: There have been 37 incidents involving shipping vessels from Nov. 19 to Dec. 18, most of which were concentrated near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to Ambrey Analytics, the digital intelligence arm of the Ambrey maritime risk management group.

Context: In response to Israel-Hamas war, the Houthi rebels began attacking merchant ships in the Red Sea near the Suez Canal.

• The attacks have prompted BP and other companies to halt cargo transits through the region.

Zoom out: The U.S. launched a new global mission this week to defend Red Sea shipping lanes – a key commercial shipping route – from missile and drone attacks by the Houthi rebels in Yemen.

• U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Monday that the recent escalation “threatens the free flow of commerce, endangers innocent mariners, and violates international law.”
• Roughly 12% of global trade depends on the Suez Canal, which connects the Red and Mediterranean seas and serves as a shortcut for goods to move between Asia and Europe, Axios’ Hope King reports.