The Biden administration’s made a huge mistake. They’ve unleashed chaos.
Because Biden declared war with a major strike when Americans were still sleeping.
In response to a wave of assaults on commercial ships, the United States and the United Kingdom launched reprisal attacks against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who are backed by Iran, late Thursday evening local time in Washington, D.C., according to the White House.
On Thursday, the United States military announced that the Houthis had carried out 27 drone and missile assaults on commercial ships passing through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis claim these attacks are in response to Israel’s battle against Hamas in Gaza. In what the White House described as a first for the United States since the Houthis started attacking international shipping in late 2023, U.S. and U.K. military assets—along with those of Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands—struck “a number of targets” in Yemen early on Friday before dawn.
This action is a direct reaction to the extraordinary actions taken by the Houthis against international marine vessels in the Red Sea, which include the employment of anti-ship ballistic missiles, according to President Joe Biden’s statement.
The Financial Times reports that after briefings with Parliament and a meeting with the National Security Council, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was getting ready to sanction strikes on the Houthis sooner. U.S. sources informed the publication that the Pentagon had already identified possible targets.
According to CNN’s reporting citing U.S. and UK authorities, the strikes were carried out by fighter planes, ships, and submarines using Tomahawk missiles.
In a statement, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin claimed that the coalition had targeted the Houthis’ capabilities in aviation surveillance, coastal radar, ballistic and cruise missiles, and drones.
“If necessary, we will take follow-on actions to protect U.S. forces,” Austin said.
According to U.S. authorities, the Houthi troops had prepared for potential strikes by hiding valuable assets, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
According to the BBC, Houthi commander Abdul Malik al-Houthi said earlier on Thursday that the Houthis would respond violently if the United States attacked.
“Any American attack will not remain without a response. The response will be greater than the attack that was carried out with twenty drones and a number of missiles,” al-Houthi said in a video shared on the internet.
A destroyer under the command of the United Kingdom is now serving in the Red Sea as part of the U.S.-led coalition’s Operation Prosperity Guardian, which aims to reassure international shipping of the safety of its ships and discourage attacks.
There have been reports of planned attacks against the Houthis, but the Pentagon has so far refused to comment on them.
📸: Sailors from guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87) participate in a vertical replenishment with @TheCVN69 while supporting Operation Prosperity Guardian in the Red Sea, Jan. 8. Led by @CMF_Bahrain's CTF 153, #OPG has more than 20 countries taking part. pic.twitter.com/m9AMaLsoWF
— U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet (@US5thFleet) January 11, 2024
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reaffirmed a warning from the U.S. and allies against the Houthis conducting future strikes after Wednesday’s missile and drone barrage. The Pentagon was clearly becoming increasingly frustrated with the Houthis’ determination to keep attacking, according to experts, as they threatened again and again.
“I think that statement from multiple nations when it comes to the fact that there will be consequences – should the attacks not stop – speaks for itself. And I’ll just leave it at that,” a Pentagon official shared with the media this week.
The Red Sea transit routes are still avoided by major maritime corporations. U.S. Destroyers who are policing the region have been targeted by Houthi attacks in recent weekes.
In a news briefing on January 3, White House National Security Spokesperson John Kirby stated that the United States military has 130 planes and ships in the Red Sea as part of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, which carries around 4,000 military personnel.
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