Houthis shot down Reaper drone in Yemen, Pentagon confirms
Stars and StripesFeb 20
Pentagon: Houthis Shot Down US Reaper Drone
The Facts
The Pentagon confirmed Tuesday that a US military MQ-9 drone flying off the Yemeni coast on Monday was shot down by the Iran-aligned Houthis and crashed into the Red Sea as tensions in the region continued to escalate amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
The drone was downed by a surface-to-air missile following "more sophisticated" operations by the Houthis over the weekend, Pentagon deputy press secretary Sabrina Singh said. She added that an investigation into the recovery of the drone is underway.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
The Houthis have carried out another unprovoked attack, but it's not comparable to the damage Yemeni terrorists have inflicted on international shipping in the Red Sea. So the US will continue operating in the area to protect the freedom of navigation and uphold the rule of law. The US is taking out Houthi drones every day and its strikes will continue until these terrorists are defeated and cease operations.
Establishment-critical narrative
This proves that US-led strikes against the Houthis are failing to deter their attacks and instead are boosting the Houthis' standing in the Arab world. The US is running out of options against the Houthis' asymmetric tactics, which have been well-tested by the last decade of war in Yemen. The best way to avoid expanding this conflict is a comprehensive ceasefire in Gaza.
Nerd narrative
There's a 13% chance that the US and Iran will be primary actors on opposite sides of a war before Jan. 1, 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.