Houthis Say US and UK Ships Can Safely Take Red Sea Passage

bloomberg.com

4 points·Despegar··4 comments

It's a national embarrassment that they were able to deny passage as long and as effectively as they did.

I don't think it's an embarrassment, I think it's just a reflection of the limits of bombing and US power projection. The Houthis survived being bombed by the Saudi's with US & UK support for years. A few more air strikes and cruise missiles were unlikely to stop them.

The US alone has expended hundreds of missiles.

"That includes the firing of 120 SM-2 missiles, 80 SM-6 missiles, 160 rounds from destroyers and cruisers’ five-inch main guns, as well as a combined 20 Evolved Sea Sparrow Missiles (ESSM) and SM-3 missiles."[0] and 135[1] Tomahawk cruise missiles.

Aside from the cost, replacing these munitions will take years.

Barring an actual invasion and occupation of Yemen, it's not clear what the US & allies could realistically expect to achieve.

[0] https://www.twz.com/news-features/navy-just-disclosed-how-ma...

[1] https://www.twz.com/news-features/770-weapons-expended-by-ei...

So despite the very weak propaganda about the Houthis, it turns out it was all about the Gaza genocide. This could have stopped at any point by the Biden administration, instead it came down to Trump and his real estate guy telling Israel how high to jump (debunking another weak propaganda narrative). All for Zionist donors and votes, and he still lost.

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/12/amnesty-inter...

Were the Houthis actually concerned with the legal or ethical status of Israel's operations though? They do have "Curse be upon the Jews" on their slogan...

Even if their cause was noble, rewarding piracy seems like a bad precedent to set.

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