NYN | News 

Intelligence reports from the United States, cited by the “Fox News” network, have revealed an unprecedented escalation in the capabilities of the Houthis (Ansar Allah), after they launched advanced surface-to-air missiles for the first time at a U.S. Navy F-16 fighter jet flying off the Yemeni coast in the Red Sea. This move marks a significant development in the deterrence strategy of Sanaa forces. Fox News confirmed that Sanaa forces carried out two separate operations in one day: the first targeted the F-16 fighter, and the second targeted a U.S. MQ-9 drone monitoring movements over areas controlled by the “Aden Government.” This signals an expansion of military operations to confront foreign expansion in all its forms. According to the channel, these operations sparked debate within the Pentagon, where senior officials acknowledged during a meeting that any U.S. military escalation against the Houthis via an “anti-terrorism approach” would be costly and ineffective, implicitly admitting the failure of traditional mechanisms in countering the asymmetrical tactics of the Yemenis. Warnings from U.S. military leaders have risen, stating that the next Houthi strike could directly target U.S. Navy ships, potentially causing “devastating” losses to the fleet, especially as the Red Sea turns into a hotbed of tension threatening Washington’s regional interests, according to the American channel. The recent escalation demonstrates Sanaa’s success in imposing a new military equation by breaking the technical blockade through the development of locally-made weapons capable of countering advanced aircraft, transforming the confrontation into a war of attrition with limited resources in exchange for potential losses amounting to billions of dollars.