In the Middle East, where there is never a shortage of drama, a new round of conflict is unfolding. While Israel has stepped up its crackdown on Hamas, its allies, the Houthis, have shown no signs of weakness, and their counterattack has escalated to the fourth stage. Imagine that the entire Israeli coastline is shrouded in the shadow of an attack, not in a movie, but in reality.
According to the Houthi leaders, they carried out 12 attacks in just one week, covering vast seas from the Indian Ocean to the Arabian Sea, to the Red Sea and the Mediterranean. They launched a total of 27 missiles and drones, 10 of which were aimed at 10 ships linked to the United States, Britain and Israel. This escalation of action has undoubtedly added fuel to the already tense situation.
The US-British coalition responded by launching air strikes against the Houthis. But Houthi-owned television Masila reported that the bombing had killed and injured 58 people, including civilians, 16 of them dead and at least 42 wounded. In the video, injured civilians are being treated in Hodeidah, which is undoubtedly another revelation of the brutality of the conflict.
In retaliation, the Houthis claimed that they launched an attack on the US aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower, and claimed that they had successfully hit the target. It sounds like something out of a movie, but Houthi's statement adds to the confusion surrounding the standoff at sea. The United States did not officially respond to this, but a U.S. defense official said they were not aware of the attack on the USS Eisenhower. This can't help but remind people that the Houthis have repeatedly claimed that they have hit the US warship, but later found that the US ship was safe and sound.
Interestingly, on the very same day, the captain of the USS Eisenhower, Joe D. On his social media accounts, Darshan posted photos of his dog teasing in his office, and also posted photos of food on the aircraft carrier. This seems to be a silent indication that despite the turmoil outside, life on board the ship is still calm and normal.
But Iran's involvement cannot be overlooked. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps' Tasnim news agency reported that the Houthi's anti-ship ballistic missile technology originated from Iran, and that the Muhit anti-ship ballistic missile it used was a copy of the Iranian-supplied Qader missile. This marks Iran's success in supporting the resistance front throughout the region.
Iran's "Kadeer" is the first domestically produced anti-ship ballistic missile manufactured by Iran, which uses optoelectronic guidance, has a range of 180 kilometers and carries a 150-kilogram warhead. This missile has a shorter flight time, arrives faster, and better penetrates the ship's defenses. Although relatively less powerful, the introduction of this technology has undoubtedly added new variables to naval confrontations.