They’re calling for a more powerful response because the less powerful response isn’t having the desired effect. From Middle East Eye at middleeasteye.net:
Letter comes after Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman lobbied Russian President Vladimir Putin against arming Houthis with cruise missiles
Supporters of Yemen’s Houthis in Sanaa, on 24 June 2024 (Mohammed Huwais/AFP)
The top US commander in the Middle East warned Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin that the US’s operations against Houthi fighters in Yemen are “failing” to deter the Iran-backed group from attacking international shipping, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday.
In a classified letter, General Michael Erik Kurilla, the head of US Central Command (Centcom), suggested the US should take a more forceful approach against the Houthis, the report said. The letter comes amid fears that Red Sea tensions could draw in Russia.
The WSJ cited an exclusive article published by Middle East Eye last month which revealed US intelligence agencies learned Russian President Vladimir Putin has mulled arming Yemen’s Houthis with anti-ship cruise missiles.
MEE revealed that Putin was dissuaded from the move by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
“Putin engaged Mohammed bin Salman who requested them (Russia) not to pursue the arrangement,” the senior US official previously told MEE.
According to The Wall Street Journal, the Biden administration still believes Putin could pursue the arrangement and is confidently trying to stop Russia from arming the Houthis.
Fears about the Houthis’ access to potentially more sophisticated weapons are likely to grow, following a drone attack on Tel Aviv on Monday that killed one person and injured several others. The Houthis claimed responsibility for the strike.
Oh my, what nice weapons they have.
Did any come from the Graveyard Of Empires?
Two can move by Proxy as Putin is showing.
Will a Trump/Thiel ticket stop all the warmongering?
Bomb, bomb, bomb, Iran.
(sad trombone)