WASHINGTON – The Truman Carrier Strike Group is reportedly headed to the Red Sea, the place sailors proceed to battle off assaults from Houthi rebels.
Despite these efforts, the Iran-backed terrorist group continues to wreak havoc on the important commerce route.
“We have certainly degraded their capability. There’s no doubt about that. We’ve degraded their ability. However, have we stopped them? No,” mentioned the top of naval efforts within the Middle East, Vice Adm. George Wikoff, throughout a speech to CSIS final month.
Wikoff went on to say it is unlikely the Houthis will likely be swayed by the type of army response authorised by the White House.
“Our mission remains to disrupt their ability and try to preserve some semblance of maritime order while we give an opportunity for policy to be developed against the Houthis,” he mentioned.
While that dialogue goes on, the Iranian proxy group has attacked greater than 70 vessels for the reason that struggle started between Israel and Hamas, claiming to assist Palestinians in Gaza.
PHOTO: Oil tanker Sounion burning within the Red Sea following a collection of assaults by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, on Saturday Sept. 14, 2024. (European Union’s Operation Aspides by way of AP)
“What the Houthis, really, at the behest of the Iranians learned long ago is that the shipping that goes through the Red Sea, it has a global impact,” Brent Sadler of the Heritage Foundation informed CBN News.
Sadler, a former Pentagon official, predicts this may solely proceed with out a change in U.S. technique and guidelines of engagement.
“Until you sever their connections to Tehran and at the same time apply more punishing attacks against them, this is going to persist for quite a while, as in fact, it has,” Sadler mentioned.
Wikoff says many ships now bypass the Red Sea, taking a route that provides about 11,000 miles to every journey.
“It’s not an acceptable solution, but we have seen some degree of stabilization, where now, where we used to see about 2,000 ships go through…a month, now we see roughly 1,000,” he mentioned.
Meanwhile, Navy forces discover themselves beneath fixed enemy fireplace for the primary time since World War II.
“The bottom line is that our sailors have been asked to do an extremely difficult job and they’re doing it better than we could possibly have imagined before,” mentioned Wikoff.
Costly U.S. weapons techniques are additionally being focused. Earlier this month, the Houthis claimed they downed a $30 million drone.
“An MQ-9 did crash in the vicinity of Yemen, that is being investigated,” confirmed Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.
Sadler warns that what we’re seeing within the Red Sea may be an indication of what is to come within the Indo-Pacific if the U.S. does not change its strategy with Beijing. The Taiwanese are already conducting army drills in preparation for maintaining important sea lanes open within the occasion of a Chinese blockade.
