The spillover effects of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict are intensifying, and the Houthis are of the United States. The United States tried to calm the storm, but its allies did not listen.
Today's United States may never be able to regain its former appeal.
Before reading this article, please click "Follow", which is not only convenient for you to discuss and share, but also can bring you a different sense of participation, thank you for your support!
The Houthis blockade of the Red Sea, and Israel turned to the United States for help
Since the outbreak of a new round of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the world situation has undergone tremendous changes. In particular, the appeal of the United States in the world has declined visibly.
In order to express their dissatisfaction with Israel and their support for the Palestinian population, the Houthis previously announced a ban on any ships sailing to Israel. Regardless of whether it is a person who pulls goods or an ordnance, it is not allowed to pass.
Yemen, where the Houthis are located, is geographically important, right at the tip of the narrow Red Sea, controlling important passages. The actions of the Houthis are undoubtedly a clear attitude to act against Israel and the United States.
And Blushing also did what he said, attacking many cargo ships coming and going on the Red Sea.
You know, Israel is a country with very few resources. For this reason, all kinds of goods needed in Israel need to be transported by sea. Once the sea transport corridor is blocked, the blow to Israel is enormous.
If the problem of shipping in the Red Sea is not solved, then cargo ships entering and leaving Israel will have to take other routes.
Compared with taking the Red Sea and taking other routes, the time for international cargo ships to reach Israel will be increased by more than 15 days. At that time, the economic cost of Israel will be greatly increased. This is clearly detrimental to Israel's continued insistence on fighting.
The Israeli army seems to be invincible in the Gaza Strip, but in fact the overall strength of Israel's navy is not very strong.
Especially in recent years, the development of the Houthis has been getting better and better, and Israel has basically no chance of winning a head-to-head confrontation with the Houthis. Therefore, we can only turn to the United States for help, hoping that the United States will raise its arms and solve the Houthis.
But to Israel's disappointment, the United States has long since lost this capability.
The United States raised its arms, but few responded
In order to be able to solve the maritime attacks launched by the Houthis, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that the United States will launch Operation "Prosperity Guardian" and form a multinational coalition to maintain the safety of navigation in the Red Sea.
In his speech, Austin said that the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Spain, Italy and other countries will participate.
But interestingly, some countries mentioned in their subsequent statements that they would not unilaterally participate in the Red Sea operation, and the Italian Ministry of Defense even directly stated that the country sent frigates to the Red Sea to safeguard national interests and did not belong to the "Prosperity Guardian" operation.
It is worth mentioning that so far, the five traditional allies of the United States have sent a total of 27 people.
In the face of the powerful Houthis, the United States vigorously called for only 27 combat teams.
This result is obviously a slap in the face of the United States. It can be seen from this that the current United States, both in terms of deterrence and international prestige, has been greatly reduced.
And the reason why America's allies have responded so little is that the United States has so little to offer compared to the risks. Therefore, everyone does not want to wade into this troubled water, so they can only make a symbolic gesture and maintain the so-called decency of the Western alliance.
In other words, this so-called "Guardian of Prosperity" does not play much role in solving the problem of Red Sea shipping, and is nothing more than a "face project".
The Houthis are apparently aware of the problem, and on December 23, the Houthis again launched a barrage of drones and ballistic missiles into the Red Sea.
So far, the Houthis have launched more than 100 drone and missile attacks, and US forces in Iraq and Syria have been attacked more than 100 times.
Some people say that the reason why the United States keeps making concessions to the Houthis is because of its strategic determination.
But the fact is that the United States simply does not have the ability to come face to face with the Houthis at the moment.
The United States is no longer the United States it once was
In fact, the United States is the United States because of its great military power. In the Gulf War of that year, the United States said that it would end directly until Iraq was defeated.
In the face of threats, it is also frontal hard steel. It is precisely because of the strong military strength of the United States that its allies are willing to follow the United States.
But now, the United States not only does not have this ability, but also has to consider the consequences of a real war with the Houthis.
At present, the United States has not deployed littoral combat ships in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait or the Persian Gulf, which means that if the US military wants to teach the Houthis a lesson, it can only use air defense destroyers.
But the cost of air defense destroyers is very high, and once it really fights, the expenses will be large.
Not only that, but if it really chooses to go to war with the Houthis, then the Red Sea will be completely blocked, and the United States will not be able to come to power at that time. Therefore, in the face of the current situation, the United States has no better way.
And such an America can't help but make people question. If you don't even have the courage to confront the Houthis in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, how can you face an enemy like China in the first island chain?
The Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict are constantly exposing the shortcomings of the United States. Losing appeal to allies may be just the beginning.