December 28, 2023
Operation Prosperity Guardian
By Shoshana Bryen
Brigadier General Mohammad Reza Naqdi, coordinating commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, has announced that Iran will close the Mediterranean Sea in retaliation for “U.S. war crimes” in Gaza. "They shall soon await the closure of the Mediterranean Sea, (the Strait of) Gibraltar and other waterways."
It is an expansion of attacks -- both verbal and military -- by Iran and its proxies for years but ramped up since the Hamas atrocities against Israel on October 7. U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria have been attacked at least 150 times since President Joe Biden took office, two U.S. defense officials told VOA. More than 103 rocket and drone attacks have occurred since Oct. 17.
Houthi terrorists have fired on more than 100 ships in the Red Sea and beyond since November. They claim the ships, including American ships, are Israeli or traveling to Israel and are thus, somehow, legitimate targets. Ships of several nations were affected and some large shipping companies -- including Maersk and BP -- said that, at least temporarily, they would not use the Red Sea to move cargo to the Mediterranean. Oil prices immediately rose two percent.
This is an act of war and should be treated by the U.S. as one. USCENTCOM operates in the Red Sea and has a firm grasp on Houthi -- and Iranian -- capabilities. Israel is a member of CENTCOM and should be able to call on its assets.
more
https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2023/12/operation_prosperity_guardian.html
