New U.S. attack on Houthi rebels in Yemen | Trump announces truce

[nycfan]

How the Houthis Rattled the U.S. Navy—and Transformed Maritime War​

Persistent bombardment in confined waters pushed sailors to the edge in a costly battle that ended in stalemate​

Gift —> https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-ea...7?st=CgfZ98&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

“… Some 30 vessels participated in combat operations in the Red Sea from late 2023 through this year, around 10% of the Navy’s total commissioned fleet. In that time, the U.S. rained down at least $1.5 billion worth of munitions on the Houthis, a U.S. official said.

The Navy was able to destroy much of the Houthis’ arsenal—but it has yet to achieve the strategic goal of restoring shipping through the Red Sea, and the Houthis continue to regularly fire missiles at Israel.

Military and congressional leaders who have begun scrutinizing the campaign for lessons worry about the strain of such grueling deployments on overall force readiness. The Pentagon is also investigating the lost planes and a separate at-sea collision—incidents that all involved the Truman strike group—with results expected in the coming months.…”

 

[nycfan]

 

[lawtig02]

DO NOT LIKE what we're seeing with the Houthis right now. The options are (1) the Houthis are using the last of their diminishing arsenal to strike while they can, or (2) Iran's capabilities, both directly and through its proxies, were not nearly as degraded as Trump and Bibi led us to believe.

I'd put a lot of money on option 2, but time will tell.

 

[Healing]

I'd put a lot of money on option 2, but time will tell.

Me too.

Also, “time will tell” is an important caveat founded in an appreciation for the unknown - something multiple resident maga and Good Germans simply couldn’t incorporate, in favor of chest thumping, immediately following the now clearly propagandized Iran strikes.

 

[nycfan]

 

[nycfan]

 

[nycfan]

Two Ships Desperately Tried to Fight Off Houthi Attacks. Help Never Arrived.​

Iran-backed group carried out its most complex and violent attack yet on Red Sea shipping​

—> https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-ea...8?st=RB3tnt&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

“For more than 48 hours, two merchant ships in the Red Sea tried to fight off repeated attacks by Houthi fighters who used rocket-propelled grenades, missiles and drones to sink them both, kill at least three crew members and take others hostage. No U.S. or allied warship was around to help.

An officer at Cosmoship Management, operator of the Eternity C, one of the vessels that was attacked, said he desperately tried to get assistance from the British navy and a European naval task force as the fight unfolded. He said he was told there were no ships in the area.

 

[nycfan]

Two Ships Desperately Tried to Fight Off Houthi Attacks. Help Never Arrived.​

Iran-backed group carried out its most complex and violent attack yet on Red Sea shipping​

—> https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-ea...8?st=RB3tnt&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

“For more than 48 hours, two merchant ships in the Red Sea tried to fight off repeated attacks by Houthi fighters who used rocket-propelled grenades, missiles and drones to sink them both, kill at least three crew members and take others hostage. No U.S. or allied warship was around to help.

An officer at Cosmoship Management, operator of the Eternity C, one of the vessels that was attacked, said he desperately tried to get assistance from the British navy and a European naval task force as the fight unfolded. He said he was told there were no ships in the area.

“… Mahdi al-Mashat, chairman of the Houthis’ Supreme Political Council, said the group would continue to attack ships linked to Israel until the war in Gaza ends and limits on humanitarian supplies are lifted.

The Magic Seas and the Eternity C were Greek-owned and Liberian-flagged. The Magic Seas visited Israel in December 2023, according to data providers Windward and Kpler. Another ship controlled by the Eternity C’s operator visited the Israeli port of Haifa in June, according to the Joint Maritime Information Center.

If the Houthis are now going to be targeting ships with a once-removed link to Israel, this could affect a sizable portion of the global fleet, said Ami Daniel, the head of maritime intelligence firm Windward. “This further bifurcates the world shipping system,” he said.…”

 

[nycfan]

I’m wondering if the Trump Admin is willing to tolerate this sort of attack because they view it as other countries problem to defend their own vessels and perhaps putting pressure on getting a ceasefire in Gaza? Hard to know based on paucity of public statements.

Meanwhile, it also highlights how limited other navies are.