Cut Off the Head of the Snake in the Red Sea | Opinion
The MessengerJan 03
Biden Concedes Strikes on Houthis Haven't Stopped Attacks, Vows to Continue
The Facts
US Pres. Joe Biden admitted on Thursday that strikes on Houthi assets have so far failed to deter the Iran-aligned Yemeni rebels from carrying out attacks against commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, but asserted that strikes would continue.
A day later, the White House announced that three self-defense strikes against anti-ship missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen had been successful, marking the fourth "preemptive action" against Houthi missile launchers in the past week.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The international community must rally to counter the Houthi rebels. While the US defensive responses to the continued attacks in the Red Sea have been impressively executed, only proactive military action will end the terrorization of shipping routes. Unless the head of the snake is cut off, the Iran-backed rebels will continue to increase the gravity of their illegal activities. The US and its allies must use force to provide a definitive end to the Red Sea chaos before even more harm is caused, and conflict expands to a wider war.
Establishment-critical narrative
From the onset, the Houthis have made it very clear what they want: Israel must put an end to the carnage in Gaza. As the international community doesn't raise a finger to support Palestinians, the group has taken it upon themselves to increase the stakes for the war. Any ship connected to Israel will be attacked. And as US and UK warships frequently target the Houthis, ships connected to these countries are likewise open game.
Nerd narrative
There's a 10% chance the US and Iran will be primary actors on opposite sides of war before 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.
