On December 31, 2023, a rare maritime conflict took place in the waters of the Red Sea. A Singaporean-flagged container ship was attacked by 4 Yemeni Houthi speedboats, and the *** of the US "Eisenhower" aircraft carrier battle group rushed to the scene, exchanged fire with the Houthis, sank 3 speedboats, and killed 10 Houthi fighters. This is the first direct armed conflict between the US military and the Houthis in the Red Sea, and it is also the largest US military operation in the Middle East since the outbreak of a new round of war between Palestine and Israel in October 2023.
The Houthis are a Shiite militant group in Yemen that has been engaged in a civil war with Yemen** and the Saudi-led multinational coalition since 2014. The Houthis control Yemen's capital, Sana'a, and much of the north, as well as some ports along the Red Sea coast. The Houthis are considered to be the best in Iran and often use drones and missiles to attack targets in Saudi Arabia and other countries. The Houthis have also repeatedly threatened to block the Bab Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea, one of the world's busiest sea lanes, through which more than 100 million tonnes of oil and other commodities pass each year.
The United States has been supporting the Saudi-led coalition, providing it with intelligence,** and logistical support, but has not been directly involved in military strikes against the Houthis. The United States has also been deploying ** and aircraft in the Red Sea to protect shipping security and its own interests. U.S. Defense Department spokesman John Kirby said that the U.S. military was conducting self-defense operations in this incident and did not seek a conflict with the Houthis or expand the conflict in the Middle East. He said the United States will continue to protect its own security and that of its allies while supporting a peaceful settlement in Yemen.
However, the Houthis strongly condemned and condemned the actions of the US military, saying that the US military was violating Yemen's sovereignty and territory, serving Saudi Arabia and Israel, and committing war crimes. Houthi spokesman Saryea said the U.S. military would pay the price for the killing of 10 Houthis and that the Houthis would take the necessary steps to defend their rights and dignity.
This incident has attracted great attention from the international community, and many ** and experts believe that this is a dangerous turning point in the situation in the Middle East region, which could lead to a larger conflict and violence. Some analysts have pointed out that the Houthis could retaliate against the U.S. military by using drones and missiles to attack U.S. military ** or bases, or blocking shipping lanes in the Red Sea, with serious economic and security consequences. If U.S. forces are attacked by the Houthis, the U.S. may respond more aggressively by striking directly at Houthi ground targets or increasing support for the Saudi coalition. In this way, the United States will be more deeply involved in the civil war in Yemen and will also intensify the confrontation with Iran.
The situation in the Middle East is already very complicated and sensitive, the conflict between Palestine and Israel has not subsided, the Iranian nuclear issue has not been resolved, and Iraq, Syria, Libya and other countries are still in turmoil. The conflict between the United States and the Houthis may add another fire to this powder keg and trigger even greater crises and disasters. In order to avoid such an outcome, all parties should exercise restraint and reason and seek to resolve the issue through political and diplomatic means, rather than through force and violence. The people of Yemen and peace in the Middle East require the joint efforts and responsibility of all parties.