Recent frequent attacks by Yemen's Houthi rebels in the Red Sea, targeting merchant ships and Israeli vessels, have provoked a strong reaction from the U.S. Navy. The U.S. Navy deployed multiple destroyers in the Red Sea to intercept anti-ship missiles and drones fired by the Houthis, protecting shipping security and Israeli interests. However, the Houthis did not stop their attacks, but became more aggressive, and even fired missiles directly at the United States, causing the US Navy to fall into a difficult situation. The United States plans to create a joint task force consisting of multinational navies to counter the threat from the Houthis, but it remains to be seen whether this will effectively solve the problem.
The Houthis, an armed group of Shiite Muslims, have controlled Yemen's capital, Sana'a, and much of the rest since 2014, fighting a long civil war with Yemeni and Saudi-led coalition forces. The Houthis, backed by Iran, have a number of advanced **, including ballistic missiles and drones, which they often use to strike military and civilian targets in countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, causing huge losses and **.
The Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have two main purposes: one is to hit the economic interests of countries such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, disrupt their oil and ** shipments, and put pressure on them to stop their military intervention in Yemen;The second is to support the Hamas organization in Palestine, to resist Israeli aggression, to demonstrate their Shiite unity and anti-American and anti-Israeli stance, and to win the support and appreciation of Iran and other Shiite countries.
The strategy of the US Navy in the Red Sea is mainly to safeguard US interests and influence in the Middle East, to protect US allies and partners, especially Israel, from harming them by Houthi attacks, and to ensure the safety of shipping in the Red Sea, to uphold international law and order, and to prevent the expansion of the Houthis and the spread of terrorism.
However, the US Navy faces a lot of challenges in the Red Sea, first of all, the ** threat of the Houthis, the anti-ship missiles and drones used by the Houthis, some of which are imported from Iran, some of which are copied by themselves, and their number and performance should not be underestimated, especially anti-ship ballistic missiles, which are very fast and penetrating, and are difficult to intercept, and the air defense systems of the US Navy may not be able to cope with them. The second is the tactical flexibility of the Houthis, the Houthis have many hidden launch points on the Red Sea coast, they can launch missiles and drones anytime and anywhere, and carry out saturation attacks on various targets in the Red Sea, which is difficult for the US Navy to ** and prevent, and can only respond passively. Again, the political pressure of the US Navy, the actions of the US Navy in the Red Sea, which may cause dissatisfaction and opposition from Iran and other Shiite countries, lead to an escalation of tensions in the Middle East, and the US Navy may be drawn into larger conflicts and crises, which is contrary to Biden's foreign policy and withdrawal plans.