NYN | News
The U.S. Central Command confirmed that the United States is unable to decisively confront the forces of the Government of Sana’a, also referred to as the “Houthis,” noting that ending their attacks can only be achieved through a political solution. The Command highlighted that the Houthis are “the first in history to use ballistic missiles against ships” and that they have gained extensive military expertise.
This statement was made in an interview conducted by American journalist Norah O’Donnell with U.S. Central Command Deputy Commander Admiral Brad Cooper and several U.S. Navy leaders for the investigative television program “60 Minutes,” broadcast on the American channel CBS.
Admiral Cooper stated, “The Houthis are the first entity in the history of the world to use anti-ship ballistic missiles and launch them against ships,” adding that “their weapons and tactics are new and unconventional.”
In response to a question about the estimated time between the launch of a missile by the Government of Sana’a and its arrival at an American ship, Admiral Cooper explained, “If it’s coming towards a U.S. destroyer, you have to put yourself in the seat of the destroyer’s captain on that ship. He has about nine to 15 seconds to decide to shoot it down. It’s intense.”
According to “60 Minutes,” the commander of the U.S. aircraft carrier “Eisenhower,” which withdrew from the Red Sea, Admiral Mark Megez, confirmed that the “Houthis” are opponents with extensive military and combat experience.
Since late last year, the forces of the Government of Sana’a have begun striking Israeli targets in the occupied Palestinian territories and targeting Israeli and affiliated ships in the Red and Arabian Seas, before announcing the extension of their operations to parts of the Indian Ocean. Recently, they announced the beginning of the fourth phase of escalation against ships “even to the Mediterranean” to support Palestinians in Gaza. They emphasized that their operations against “Israel” would continue, conditioning the cessation of their military operations “in support of Gaza” on ending the aggression and lifting the siege on Gaza.
In response, the U.S. and Britain launched airstrikes on Yemen, prompting the forces of the Government of Sana’a to declare that their operations would include targeting U.S. and British commercial and military ships in retaliation for what they called the “American-British aggression.”
On February 19, 2024, the European Union announced the launch of a military operation named “Aspides,” led by Italy in the Red Sea, while the United States announced the launch of an operation named “Prosperity Guard,” aimed at countering the attacks launched by the forces of the Government of Sana’a against “Israel.”
The U.S. aircraft carrier “Eisenhower” was subjected to three attacks since the beginning of confrontations with the forces of the Government of Sana’a, leading the Pentagon to announce its departure from the Red Sea on Sunday.
