Hear, then, the plan which Hashem has devised against Edom, and what He has purposed against the inhabitants of Teman [Yemen] : Surely the shepherd boys Shall drag them away; Surely the pasture shall be Aghast because of them.” JEREMIAH 47:20 (THE ISRAEL BIBLE)
On Monday, Houthi rebels fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles from their bases in Yemen into the Red Sea toward merchant vessel Pinocchio, a Singaporean-owned, Liberian-flagged ship. The US navy responded harshly.
“United States Central Command conducted six self-defense strikes destroying an unmanned underwater vessel and 18 anti-ship missiles in Houthi controlled areas of Yemen”, CENTCOM announced.
“It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region,” officials said. “These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels.”
Despite the US navy’s response, the Houthi attacks continued and two drones were shot down by an Italian warship in the Red Sea in what was described as an act of self-defense.
On Saturday, Centcom said US and coalition warships had “downed a total of at least 28” drones in what appeared to be a large attempted attack by the Houthis.
On Wednesday, a Houthi attack off the port of Aden killed three crew of the Barbados-flagged, Greek-operated True Confidence. On February 18, a Houthi missile sank the cargo ship Rubymar.
Since the US began its campaign of airstrikes in January, the U.S. military says it has shot down and destroyed more 100 Houthi missiles, according to an Associated Press analysis of its statements.
Claiming to stand with Hamas in its war against Israel, the Houthis have launched attacks against civilian vessels in the Red Sea that have disrupted global shipping, forcing firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa. This has stoked fears that the Israel-Hamas war could spread to destabilize the wider Middle East.
During its first weeks in office the Biden administration chose to unconditionally revoke Trump’s decision to classify the Houthis as a terrorist organization but reclassifieed the organization as terrorists in January.
As the Middle East heats up, the US is encountering Yemenite Houthis and other Iranian proxies in hostile encounters. The US miliary is even coming close to putting boots on the ground in Gaza as it airdrops humanitarian aid. A US naval vessel is en route, carrying equipment to build a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza. Hamas has been accused by Israel of violently hijacking trucks carrying humanitarian aid into Gaza, raising the possibility they will be in conflict with US troops distributing food, fuel, and medical equipment to Gaza’s civilians.
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