Recently, the United States has encountered unprecedented challenges in its military operations in the Middle East. A surprise attack on a US military base in Jordan killed three people and injured more than 40. This incident has attracted widespread attention from the international community, and Biden of the United States immediately responded to the matter by announcing that corresponding military action will be taken. This series of incidents shows that the US military presence in the Middle East faces a serious security threat.
While the world is concerned about a possible U.S. military action against Iran, the U.S. has unexpectedly targeted another target. Behind this shift is the fact that U.S. assets have been attacked multiple times in a short period of time. In the early hours of February 1, Sky News reported a statement from Ambre Maritime Security announcing that a missile fired by the Houthis had hit a merchant ship off the coast of Yemen, causing a violent **.
According to reports, the missile was launched from the Yemeni province of Taiz. Houthi spokesman Yahya Sarri has claimed that their navy conducted a high-quality operation, firing multiple anti-ship missiles at the USS Cole merchant ship heading to Israeli ports, with the missiles hitting the target directly.
At the same time, the Houthis also fired ** missiles at US warplanes. The U.S. Middle East Military Command (CENTCOM) announced that the U.S. military destroyed a Houthi surface-to-air missile on Wednesday, which was originally aimed at U.S. warplanes, and the war agency became an imminent threat, Sky News reported on Feb. 1.
More details were revealed in a statement released by the U.S. ** command. At around 3:30 p.m. local time on January 31, the Houthis prepared to launch a surface-to-air missile to attack a U.S. warplane. However, this operation was detected in advance by the US military and launched a bombing, which successfully destroyed the missile.
On the same day, the Houthis also launched an attack on a U.S. ship**. On January 31, Al Arabiya reported that the Houthis** stated that they had attacked the USS Graveley with anti-ship missiles. The U.S. Command revealed that the Houthis fired an anti-ship cruise missile into the Red Sea in an attempt to attack the U.S. missile destroyer USS Graveley, but in the end the missile was shot down without damage to the crew or ship.
It is particularly noteworthy that this attack by the Houthis on the US ** boat shows a technological breakthrough. Although the Houthis have previously tried to attack the U.S. boats, the previous missiles were close to the U.S. ships at 8 miles (128 km). And this time, the missile was only 1 mile from the "Graveley" (1.).6 km). CNN reported that the USS Graveley had to use the CIWS melee system for the first time to successfully intercept the missile.
In just one day, US warplanes, **, and merchant ships were attacked one after another, making the US military unable to guard against it. Faced with this situation, the U.S. military ultimately chose to launch a more drastic military response to the Houthis rather than take action against Iran.
On January 31, another report by Al Arabiya revealed that the United States and the British had jointly launched a heavy bombardment of Houthi targets in Yemen. The bombardment targeted the northern outskirts of the city of Saada in Yemen, but did not cause any deaths, injuries or significant damage, according to Houthi reports.
Since mid-November last year, the Houthis have attacked a number of civilian vessels linked to Israel in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. On January 12, the United States and Britain used aircraft, ships and submarines to launch their first strikes on Houthi targets in several cities, bombing missile and drone bases and radar stations. On the night of 23 January, the United Kingdom and the United States carried out a second joint strike, targeting the Houthi underground warehouses and facilities related to missile launches and aerial surveillance.
The Houthis also responded strongly, announcing that they were ready for a "long-term confrontation" with the United States and the United Kingdom, and would continue to target the United States and the United Kingdom. This means that U.S. warplanes and merchant ships in the Red Sea could face more attacks. As a result, the US forces are likely to be pinned down by the Houthis, and military action against Iran has to be temporarily suspended.
As can be seen from this series of events, the US military operations in the Middle East are facing a complex and volatile situation. The Houthis' military operations have not only demonstrated their mastery of modern warfare techniques, but also highlighted the complexity of the conflict in the region. The U.S. and allied military presence and operations in the region will require not only a response to the Houthi challenge, but also a strategic adjustment in the broader geopolitical context. This incident also shows that a single military operation cannot effectively resolve regional conflicts, and that a more comprehensive and flexible strategy, as well as the joint efforts of the international community, are needed to achieve long-term peace and stability.