In a significant increase in Middle Eastern tensions, the U.S. Navy engaged in action against Houthi vessels, sinking three and causing a fourth to retreat. This response was in retaliation to an attack by the Iranian-backed Houthis on a container ship, the Maersk Hangzhou, in the Southern Red Sea.
The U.S. destroyer, responding to the Maersk Hangzhou attack, encountered additional missile fire directed at two Navy ships, the USS Gravely and the USS Laboon. These missiles were intercepted, but the Houthis made a second attempt to attack and board the Maersk Hangzhou.
In the process, the Houthis also mistakenly engaged the U.S. Navy ships. This incident follows what some view as unsuccessful diplomatic efforts by the Biden administration, leading to the U.S. confronting this global threat largely on its own, a point of bipartisan criticism.
The U.S. military said Sunday that its forces opened fire on Houthi rebels after they attacked a cargo ship in the Red Sea, killing several of them in an escalation of the maritime conflict linked to the war in Gaza. https://t.co/0kM2LwDGgp https://t.co/RN4JvvJPNX
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) December 31, 2023
During the naval engagement, several Houthi rebels were reportedly killed. A White House official emphasized the U.S.’s intention to act in self-defense. Despite warnings from the USS Gravely and helicopters from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier, the rebels attacked the American helicopters, prompting the U.S. forces to return fire. As a result, three Houthi vessels were sunk, and one fled, with no injuries reported among U.S. service personnel or damage to naval equipment.
The Houthi faction acknowledged the loss of ten of their fighters and issued a warning of severe repercussions for U.S. forces.
This incident is viewed as part of a larger proxy conflict between the U.S. and Iran, which supports the Yemeni Houthi rebels. The attacks began following a Hamas terrorist strike on Israel on October 7th, which resulted in over 1,200 casualties. Following this, Houthi forces targeted commercial shipping in the area, vowing to continue disruptions until Israel ceased its retaliation.
With the U.S. taking the lead in securing this crucial waterway, options including a preemptive strike on the rebels are not being ruled out. National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby, in an interview with ABC’s “Good Morning America,” declined to specify the U.S.’s potential military actions.
