To deter Houthi strikes in Red Sea, US must turn from defense to offense
Two senior commanders of US naval forces in the Middle East as well as an expert from JINSA argue the US must hit Houthi targets in Yemen to deter that group and other Iran-backed forces from widening the current conflict.
By MARK I. FOX, JOHN W. MILLER and ARI CICUREL
on December 28, 2023 at 1:02 PM
As Israel continues its counter-attack against Hamas in Gaza, Houthi rebels in Yemen have stepped up their aerial assaults on international shipping in the Red Sea. In this op-ed, former vice admirals Mark I. Fox and John W. Miller, who each served in top positions for American forces in the region, and Ari Cicurel of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) argue that the US must do more to make the Houthi’s back off — including direct strikes.
The United States has hardly begun to stick its finger in the dam against the wave of Iranian and Houthi maritime aggression in Middle Eastern waters. On Dec. 18, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the creation of a new multinational task force, Operation Prosperity Guardian, to protect shipping through the Red Sea.
The US must match the announcement of this important measure with substantive action. Deterring and degrading the ability of the Iranian regime and the Houthis to launch these attacks requires consistent and strong military strikes against the Houthi fighters in Yemen responsible for conducting them — something no one has yet been willing to do.
https://breakingdefense.com/2023/12/to-deter-houthi-strikes-in-red-sea-us-must-turn-from-defense-to-offense/
