Defense secretary to hold meeting on "reckless, dangerous" attacks by Houthis on commercial ships in Red Sea

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced he'll convene a virtual meeting of defense ministers Tuesday to address the attacks the Houthis, a Shia Islamist group backed by Iran, are launching against commercial ships in the Red Sea.

"These attacks are reckless, dangerous, and they violate international law," Austin said Monday during a trip to Israel. "This is not just a U.S. issue. This is an international problem, and it deserves an international response." 

Austin is on a multi-day tour of the Middle East, visiting Kuwait, Israel, Qatar and Bahrain. Since the Israel-Hamas conflict started, there have been rising tensions elsewhere in the region.