The Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East is gradually evolving into a deteriorating situation, and the spillover effects of the conflict are becoming more apparent. First, Allah in southern Lebanon joined the fighting, and then the Houthis began attacks on Israel. Houthi spokesmen made it clear that any ship heading for Israel could be targeted, and stressed that as long as Israel does not stop attacking, they will not stop fighting back. Recently, the Houthis successfully hit a Norwegian merchant ship, fulfilling this threat by firing an anti-ship missile. The Houthis have also stood decisively on the front line, demonstrating their resolve. The latest statement from the United States is that it has shot down 14 Houthi drones, and that Egypt has also been involved in a rare exchange of fire (the Red Sea has become the "main battlefield", with warships from all over the world). As the "world's policeman," the United States has always stationed the Fifth Fleet in the Middle East, especially after the outbreak of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, it has further strengthened its military strength in the Middle East, and its naval base in Bahrain has also been put into use. At this time, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin also said that he would take action against the Houthis. The spark of the recent Palestinian-Israeli conflict has reportedly spread to the Red Sea and nearby waters, leading to heightened tensions in the region.
The Houthis have carried out numerous attacks on merchant ships through drones and missiles, and have carried out more than 20 attacks since December last year, causing great unease to important international routes. Britain and France formed a joint naval team and sent destroyers, while the U.S. command said that the U.S. destroyer USS Carney successfully shot down 14 drones from the Houthis in the Red Sea. However, the situation has not subsided, and the Houthi have shifted their goals to more direct strikes on Israeli cities. The Houthis publicly announced on the 16th that they had carried out "cross-border drone strikes" on multiple targets in the southern Israeli city of Eilat, and the Houthi spokesman Sarea said on live television that they had used a "drone army" to attack important targets in Eilat, and further warned that if Israel did not stop, they would continue to counterattack (US Secretary of Defense Austin ordered an operation against the Houthis). At present, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Oman, the Gulf of Aden, the Persian Gulf, and the Arabian Sea have gathered all the best ships, and the situation is about to erupt, like a fuse burning on a powder keg.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced a new naval joint operation called Operation Prosperity Defender, which will merge with the existing Joint Task Force 153 and plans to use the port of Djibouti as a base for operations in the Gulf of Aden. Currently, the USS Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group and the Bataan Amphibious Readiness Group are heading to Yemen to prepare for strikes against the Houthis. At the same time, three more American destroyers have entered the Mediterranean, but their whereabouts have not yet been determined. Judging by the current situation, this storm will continue for some time. At the same time, the Houthis launched a missile attack on two ships that were about to arrive in Israel on the 15th. The U.S. Command responded that a total of three ships had been threatened by the Houthis, but no personnel had been reported. According to Reuters, the Houthis said in a statement that they had fired ** missiles at the container ships Alania and Paratium-3 bound for Israel, aiming to strike all Israeli-linked vessels. The U.S. military chose to shoot down 14 Houthi drones, but in fact this approach is insufficient.
Houthi drones are relatively simple and inexpensive to build, while anti-aircraft missile systems used by the U.S. military, such as the Patriot and Standard-2, are expensive to build and expensive to hit low-value targets. In addition, the U.S. military's stocks are limited after assisting Ukraine, and each missile launched has reduced one that can be used to counter a larger threat. The move weakens the U.S. military's deterrence and influence in the region, while exposing its own strength to Iran. Iran, with its excellent "reverse engineering" capabilities, obtains technology from captured US military drones, so while the US military has successfully shot down drones, it is strategically disadvantaged. The expensive missile systems used by the U.S. military to shoot down low-cost drones, although necessary, require long-term consideration of more economical and effective countermeasures, such as through electronic warfare, lasers**, etc. The current situation looks like a barrel of explosives that could be detonated at any moment. The Houthis' intentions are very clear, and if Israel does not stop, the Red Sea attacks are likely to happen again. The US side felt a headache for this and had to take practical actions to fight against the "slipper army".
The situation is that Hamas is aided and the Houthis are moving and providing protection to ships at non-Israeli destinations, vowing to "share the same hatred" and "fight to the death" with Hamas. The United States has tried to work with Saudi Arabia, the Houthi's former nemesis, to negotiate a strike against the Houthis. However, the Saudis implicitly rejected the offer. According to Reuters, Saudi Arabia hopes to maintain regional stability through foreign policy, and strongly advises Biden to exercise restraint in the Houthis. At the same time, Egypt claimed to have successfully shot down a drone over the Red Sea. Egypt's air defense system intercepted a possible drone on the 16th, and the scene occurred about 120 kilometers away from Eilat, near the city of Dahab in the eastern Sinai Peninsula, according to the report. In short, Egyptian air defense shot down a drone suspected of being launched by the Houthis in this place. This is a perplexing move, given that Egypt, as a country in the Arab world, should not be a "thug" of Israel, although it is not explicitly on the side of Hamas. Moreover, as the leader of the Arab world, Saudi Arabia has acquiesced in the Houthis' moves, so what reason does Egypt have to attack the Houthis?
However, this is not the case, and Egypt is acting because the Red Sea is vital to it. Egypt is located at the junction of Africa and Asia, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the west and the Red Sea to the east. The Red Sea is regarded as the "natural diamond" in Egypt's crown because of its sparkling economic and strategic value. First of all, the Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea and is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, with a large amount of cargo passing through it every year. Egypt's role as a canal manager is a lucrative transit fee, with annual revenues of up to $10 billion. For Egypt, which is in an average economic situation, it is undoubtedly a valuable asset to be able to obtain such a huge economic benefit from this international shipping route. The Red Sea provides Egypt with sufficient economic security. Secondly, the strategic position of the Red Sea is also very important, located at the junction of Africa and Asia, close to the resource-rich Middle East, and is an important passage for global oil transportation. Dominating the Red Sea is equivalent to controlling the world's energy arteries. For Egypt, the Red Sea is not only a source of economic nutrients, but also a strategic commanding height. The stationing of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in Bahrain also confirms this. Thus, the Red Sea makes Egypt's geographical position between Asia and Africa even more important. Therefore, maintaining the safety of the route has become crucial.
This also proves once again that there are only eternal interests between countries, and there are no eternal friends. A ceasefire and cessation of hostilities is the best way to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli issue, and a fundamental and thorough solution to the problem through the two-State solution is also the solution to the current Red Sea crisis and the source of stability in the Middle East.