NYN | Video
Lebanese military expert Brigadier General Akram Sariwi said that American and British warships came to the Red Sea to protect Israel, noting that the United States and its Western partners are facing a major problem due to the attacks from Yemen.
This statement was made during his appearance on the Egyptian channel “Cairo News” when covering the news of the Sana’a government’s forces announcing the targeting of the American aircraft carrier “Eisenhower” in the Red Sea on Friday.
Brigadier General Sariwi stated that “the West has gotten itself into a major predicament in Yemen,” expressing his surprise at British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s claim that Britain is defending itself. He questioned, “How can Mr. Sunak say that Britain is defending itself? Did the Yemenis attack Britain? On the contrary, we all know that the British and American frigates came to protect Israel, not Britain or America, because the Houthis announced from day one that they would only target ships linked to Israel.”
He pointed out that there is a “shift in the military scene, where the international dominance of frigates and aircraft carriers, which the United States and its allies prided themselves on, is now facing significant challenges. Western naval forces are struggling, having to launch a $2 million missile to counter a $2,000 drone.”
Since November of last year, the Sana’a government forces have announced targeting Israeli ships and those linked to them in the Red and Arabian Seas before extending their operations to parts of the Indian Ocean. Recently, they announced the beginning of the fourth phase of escalation against ships “even in the Mediterranean” to support Palestinians in Gaza. They stated that their operations against “Israel” will continue until Israel stops its genocide in Gaza and lifts the blockade.
In response, the US and Britain launched airstrikes on Yemen, prompting the Sana’a government forces to declare that their operations would include targeting American and British commercial and military ships in response to what they called the “American-British aggression.”
On February 19, 2024, the European Union announced the launch of a military operation named “Aspis,” led by Italy in the Red Sea, while the United States announced the launch of an operation named “Guardian of Prosperity,” both aiming to counter the attacks launched by Sana’a forces against “Israel.”
