US Strikes Iran-Backed Houthis In Yemen, Adds Forces To Region

ANALYSIS – Are we getting closer to war with Iran? Even as Biden-Harris claim to want to avoid a wider war in the region, and Israel and Iran launch major strikes against each other, the U.S. military on Friday struck over a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen using both aircraft and warships.

While some local media sources claimed the UK participated in the strikes, a British government source said the UK was not involved. Strikes also reportedly targeted the south of Dhamar city and the southeast of al-Bayda province.

CBS News reported:

The strikes, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command, hit 15 targets containing Houthi offensive military capabilities, and the strikes were “to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels.” 

The Houthis last week launched what the Pentagon characterized as “a complex attack” using cruise missiles and drones in the vicinity of U.S. Navy ships. The weapons the Houthis launched were either shot down by the Navy ships or failed, according to the Pentagon.

Still, that attack further demonstrated that months of tit-for-tat Biden-Harris airstrikes have not dissuaded the Iran-backed Houthis from their campaign targeting ships in the Red Sea.

Earlier this week the Houthis claimed to have shot down another American MQ-9 Reaper drone over Yemen, with the U.S. military acknowledging it had lost a drone.

CBS added:

Since last November, the Houthis have targeted over 100 ships, sunk two and hijacked another. The group says it is launching the attacks to protest Israel’s war in Gaza, but U.S. officials say many of the ships targeted have no connection to Israel’s war. 

Recently, the Houthis have gone after Israel directly, launching a drone at Tel Aviv in July and a missile in September. Both attacks prompted an Israeli response targeting sites in Yemen. 

Meanwhile, the Pentagon says it is sending a “few thousand” additional troops to the Middle East to bolster security and to be prepared to defend Israel if necessary.

The additional forces would raise the total number of troops in the region to as many as 43,000 and augment America’s existing presence in the region, which was increased following Hamas’ surprise terror attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.

The additional personnel include squadrons of F-15E, F-16 and F-22 stealth fighters and A-10 attack aircraft, and the personnel needed to support them.

The jets were supposed to rotate in and replace the squadrons already there. Instead, both the existing and new squadrons will remain in place to double the airpower on hand.

The increase also includes keeping the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group on extended deployment and sending the USS Harry S. Truman from the Atlantic.

The move comes as Israel continues its invasion of southern Lebanon in a dramatic escalation of its conflict with Hezbollah.

The U.S. maintains a number of bases in the region, the largest being Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.

The U.S. also has bases in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain; the last of which is home to the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and its Fifth Fleet. Other countries where the U.S. has military facilities include the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.

Lots more to come.

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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