DELAYED RESPONSE: Despite the fact that U.S. warships have had to shoot down both drones and missiles fired from Yemen by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels that were judged to pose a threat to American naval assets, the White House said it’s waiting to build an international coalition before responding.

“These ships were not U.S. commercial ships. They were from a variety of nations. This is an issue for the entire world, for every country that relies upon maritime commerce to sustain their economy,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan said at a White House briefing yesterday. “Attacks on commercial shipping in international waters are totally unacceptable and have to stop, and what we are doing now is engaging in intensive consultations with partners and allies to determine the appropriate next steps. “