For decades, relying on the support of strong ships and artillery, the United States has been rampant and hegemonic in the Middle East. The devastation in Syria and the turmoil in Iraq all confirm that the United States will not be soft because the other side is kind of talking. On the contrary, the United States will only be jealous because its opponents are strong.
However, I often walk by the river, how can I not get my shoes wet. This time, the Pentagon kicked the iron plate, and the United States met hard bones.
The Houthis said on April 30 that they had launched an attack on two U.S. destroyers in the Red Sea, RIA Novosti reported. In addition, the Houthis attacked two Israeli ships in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.
On April 29, a Maltese-flagged vessel was attacked in the Red Sea and the Houthis fired three missiles at the vessel, AFP revealed. This incident caused alarm in Britain, and London believed that British ships in the Middle East should be more careful.
In order to avoid being attacked by the Houthis, the US, Britain and Israel often fly the flags of other countries when they pass by ships passing through the Red Sea.
A few days ago, the Houthis said they had shot down a U.S. drone with a missile, and they had also fired missiles at a British oil tanker and hit the target. The Houthis believe that the Panamanian-flagged tanker was actually British.
During this time, U.S. targets in the Middle East, including warships, drones and boats, have been raided by the Houthis. In many cases, the Houthis and the U.S. Congress will be at odds, with the Houthis emphasizing that "the missile hit the target" and the Pentagon emphasizing that "there were no U.S. casualties."
As for who is lying, it's really hard to judge. But one thing is certain: the Houthis did shoot down the famous MQ-9 drone over Yemen. In order to confirm that they were not lying, the Houthis also released a picture of "a US drone shot down by a missile", and even showed the wreckage of the "MQ-9 drone".
In this case, the Pentagon had no choice but to admit that indeed an "MQ-9" drone crashed in Yemen. But the United States did not say the cause of the crash, let alone the Houthis shot it down.
In retaliation, the United States attacked the Houthi drones and unmanned boats, but it was all "thunder and rain" in retaliation, and did not cause any losses to the Houthis.
It is not difficult to see that the United States does not want to tear up its face with the Houthis just yet. In order to ensure the safety of American ships, the White House has done something that feels incredible, and that is to co-opt the Houthis.
The United States has offered "incentives" to the Houthis, such as lifting the blockade of Houthi-controlled Hodeidah and speeding up peace talks to push for an end to the war.
The signal released by the United States is relatively clear: as long as the Houthis no longer attack American, British, and Israeli ships, the United States is willing to make appropriate concessions in exchange for a compromise with the Houthis.
However, for the time being, the Houthis do not intend to compromise, and what the Houthis want is to avenge Iran and Palestine by attacking US-UK-Israeli targets.
Of course, the Houthis also have the meaning of "encircling Wei to save Zhao". The greater the pressure from the United States with Israel, the less pressure the Palestinians will face. The Houthis' attitude is clear: as long as Israel does not abandon its military operation in Gaza, the Houthis will not stop retaliating.
One of the things that the United States is most worried about now is that "the Houthis will give Iran a big gift". The downed "MQ-9" drone cost more than $30 million. If the Houthis hand over the wreckage to Iran for study, and Iran sends it to Russia, the United States will have a headache.
You know, after the "MQ-9" drone crashed into the Black Sea, in order to prevent Russia from finding the wreckage, the United States and its allies used all their resources at that time. The White House is well aware that the United States will regret letting Russia crack the military secrets of the "MQ-9" drone.
The situation is now like this: the United States provokes the wrong force, and that is the Houthis. In terms of strength, the Houthis are certainly far inferior to the United States, but the United States does not want to be bogged down in war now. The White House's strategic focus is on two things: pressuring Russia and returning to the Asia-Pacific region. It is clear that the Houthis have seen through the minds of the United States.
When encountering such a hard bone as the Houthis, the United States is both angry and helpless, and it can only swallow its anger when it is continuously slapped in the face, which is unimaginable decades ago.
How arrogant it was back then, how embarrassed it is now, I knew today, why bother with the United States.