I will point out, though, that it is preposterous for anyone to suggest that using U.S. Navy assets to protect foreign civilian ships carrying foreign cargo is the right way to deal with any of those challenges.
Agreed in that said protection has little to do with correcting those challenges. The “protection” is a “hope” that if the Houthis (really Iran by proxy) fail in several more attempts to hit or take commercial vessels, they will desist.
It’s a foolish hope from weak people: Iran has too much to gain by severely damaging Western and allied economies by disrupting shipping. Unless Iran is forced to desist, that disruption will be effective until more ships are built to address the resulting transport capacity shortages. (Hurts us, hurts Asian allies, REALLY hurts Europe, which latter two also hurt us in ways direct and indirect.) One can expect inflation that makes that which followed Pooty’s invasion of Ukraine look like a tea party (and not the one in Boston in 1773.)