In recent days, the U.S. Navy has engaged in a fierce exchange of fire between Houthis in the southern Red Sea and Yemen, resulting in the death or disappearance of at least 10 Houthis and the sinking of three ships. This is the first head-on clash between the US military and the Houthis since December last year, and the first successful attack on a surface ship using anti-ship ballistic missiles in human history.
According to a statement from the U.S. ** command, on December 31, the destroyer USS Raboun, which was patrolling the Red Sea, was attacked by Houthi drones and anti-ship missiles, but was intercepted in time. Subsequently, the U.S. military dispatched F A-18 Super Hornet fighters and MH-60R Seahawks from the USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier battle group to counterattack the four small boats of the Houthis. The statement said that the U.S. military "sank three of the ships in self-defense, killing the crew of the opposing side, and the fourth boat escaped from the sea area where the incident occurred." No U.S. personnel or equipment were damaged. However, the US side did not say how it knew that the crews of the three ships that were sunk were dead.
The Houthis have a different version of the matter. Houthi spokesman, Rear Admiral Yahya Sareya, confirmed that the group had attacked the Maersk Hangzhou because its crew refused to heed the warnings, and said that 10 Houthi naval personnel had "died or gone missing" after being attacked by US forces. He also said that the Houthis used anti-ship ballistic missiles to carry out an attack on a Liberian-flagged merchant ship, the Mediterranean Palace III, sailing in the Red Sea, which severely damaged the ship on the spot.
The news of the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles by the Houthis has attracted widespread attention from the international community, as this is the first successful attack on surface ships using this ** in the history of mankind. Anti-ship ballistic missile is a ballistic missile that can carry out terminal guidance on surface targets in the process of high-speed reentry, and has the characteristics of high speed, high maneuverability, and high penetration, and is considered a sharp weapon against aircraft carrier battle groups. It is reported that the anti-ship ballistic missile used by the Houthis is the "Persian Gulf-2" type imported from Iran, with a range of about 500 kilometers, carrying a large semi-armor-piercing warhead weighing 500 kilograms, and the terminal reentry speed is about 3 to 4 times the speed of sound.
The U.S. Navy has strongly condemned the Houthis' use of anti-ship ballistic missiles as a serious threat to the security of international shipping and a provocation to the interests of the United States and its allies. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the creation of a multinational task force on December 18 to help protect civilian vessels in the region. The US Navy has also mobilized aircraft carriers and fighter jets to strengthen its surveillance and strike capabilities in the waters of the Red Sea, and the possibility of precision strikes against military targets of the Houthis cannot be ruled out.
The Houthis, for their part, have expressed disdain for the U.S. response as U.S. aggression and interference in the Yemeni people, as well as U.S. hostility and threats against Iran. The Houthis say they have the right to defend their territory and sovereignty and to fight back against any infringement of their interests, without fear of U.S. military deterrence. The Houthis have also warned that if the United States continues to carry out military strikes against them, they will not hesitate to use more anti-ship ballistic missiles to retaliate against the ships and bases of the United States and its allies.
The exchange of fire between the US military and the Houthis has once again escalated tensions in the Red Sea region, and also reflects the first-man war between the United States and Iran in the region. The Red Sea is an important waterway connecting Europe, Asia and Africa, with thousands of merchant ships and oil tankers passing through each year, making it important for global** and energy security. Both the United States and Iran are trying to expand their influence in the region, supporting different political and military powers and competing for geostrategic superiority. The Houthis, Iran's key allies in the region, have been engaged in a civil war with Yemen** and Saudi-led coalitions since 2014, taking control of Yemen's capital and much of the northwest. The United States, on the other hand, is Saudi Arabia's main ally and has been providing military assistance and intelligence support to the coalition in an attempt to curb the expansion of the Houthis and maintain Yemen's legitimacy and regional stability.
The exchange of fire between the US military and the Houthis not only poses a huge risk to shipping in the Red Sea, but also poses a greater challenge to the relationship between the United States and Iran. The United States and Iran signed the JCPOA in 2015, but Trump unilaterally withdrew from the deal in 2018 and imposed a policy of maximum pressure on Iran, leading to a sharp deterioration in relations between the two countries. After Biden took office, he expressed his willingness to return to the JCPOA, but asked Iran to first resume fulfilling its obligations under the agreement. Iran, for its part, demanded that the United States first lift sanctions against Iran, otherwise it will not return to the negotiating table. The two sides have reached a stalemate on this issue, and the exchange of fire between the US military and the Houthis has undoubtedly added more uncertainty and crisis to the already complex situation.
The exchange of fire between the US military and the Houthis has also sounded the alarm for the international community, and the emergence of anti-ship ballistic missiles has brought new threats to maritime security, and cooperation needs to be strengthened.