The United States withdrew the American aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower from the Middle East.
Against the backdrop of the current heightened tensions in the Middle East – the most recent incident was the attack on the US Tower 22 base in northeastern Jordan, which killed three soldiers and injured dozens more, and the withdrawal of the USS Eisenhower from the region, raising many questions.
The military report states that it is a normal operation for aircraft carriers to regularly return to major U.S. bases for maintenance, as well as to replace military personnel working on board and for other operational needs.
Since the beginning of Israel's invasion of the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have been carrying out attacks on US troops for several months, and the US has blamed these personnel on some armed groups backed by Iran.
The United States does not want to get involved in a broader regional war – after a series of attacks by the Houthis and Iranian-backed militant groups in Iraq against American forces and interests, Biden is seeking to avoid such a situation by maintaining a proportionate military response.
To be sure, the aggression against the Gaza Strip has so far benefited the Houthis, and if the United States forces Israel to cease fire in Gaza, then the Houthis are likely to stop their attacks.
The United States has failed to deter the Houthis, whose strength is vastly different from that of the U.S. military, and it is not an offensive force. But they have tactical and qualitative superiority that allows them to prolong the confrontation with Lao Mei.
British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said that if the US aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower will leave the waters of the Red Sea in the coming months, then Britain is ready to send aircraft carriers to "fill this vacancy."
The mission of Britain to fill the "void" left behind also indicates the reversal of roles between Britain and the United States in managing conflicts in the Middle East, and also leaves a new chapter in the history of the "special relationship" between the two countries, which have formed a close military alliance over the past two decades and fought side by side on many stages in the region.
The British defense secretary said that the US aircraft carrier could not remain in the region "forever", while the UK was prepared to intervene to prevent an "insurmountable mistake" in the event of an escalation of Houthi attacks on global shipping routes. The British have tried to portray themselves as a force that joins America's allies to secure one of the world's most important shipping routes, but others interpret this approach in terms of Britain's complete adherence to U.S. military operations in the region, and see Britain as being forced to respond to U.S. pressure.
Britain owns two aircraft carriers, HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Queen Elizabeth, which are regarded as the most important components of the British Navy. If the aircraft carrier "Queen Elizabeth" goes to the Red Sea to lead a military operation against the Houthis, then I very much doubt that it will be able to stay in the region for a long time due to some of its logistical problems, as well as its level of readiness.
Despite reservations about such a move at the military level, both the Conservative and Labour parties in Britain believe it is necessary to stop the Houthi attacks and reopen the shipping lane safely because of the votes.
Emphasizing that Yemen has missiles capable of reaching all hostile targets in the Red and Arabian Seas**, Yemeni military expert Abed Mohammed Sarr said, "Any American or British destroyer or warship that poses a threat to our country will be a legitimate and easy target for us." ”
In her latest statement on Thursday, Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saariah stressed that "all U.S. and British vessels involved in the aggression against our country in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea are within the target of our forces and will also be within the target of the legitimate right of our country, our people and our nation to defend themselves, in order to underscore Yemen's continued support for Palestine." ”
Houthi Air Force officer Khaled Gholab stressed that Yemeni forces under Houthi control have high technology** capable of striking all long-range targets at sea or on land. And stated that "our troops are created on the basis of the fact that the enemy controls air supremacy, therefore, the structure of our forces is very complex, and they will not be able to touch our troops".