US Military Commanders Sound Alarm Over Houthi Attacks, Demand Stronger Response

Military commanders have publicly criticized the Pentagon's handling of the Houthi threat in the Red Sea, calling for more aggressive actions to deter the terrorist group's ongoing attacks against shipping vessels. The Houthis, backed by Iran, have launched numerous attacks in recent months, endangering the lives of hundreds of crewmen and disrupting global trade.

Military commanders have publicly dissented from the Pentagon over the U.S. military's response to the Houthi threat in the Red Sea, calling for a stronger response.

The Houthis, a terrorist group backed by Iran, have launched numerous attacks against shipping vessels in the Red Sea, causing significant disruptions and endangering the lives of hundreds of crewmen. The group has claimed to be only targeting ships that do business with Israel, but their attacks have hit vessels from dozens of countries.

US Military Commanders Sound Alarm Over Houthi Attacks, Demand Stronger Response

Military commanders have expressed concerns that the current U.S. response has been insufficient to deter the Houthis from continuing their attacks. In a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, CENTCOM's new commander, Gen. Michael Kurilla, argued that the current policies are "failing" to have the desired impact on Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

Kurilla called for a "whole of government" approach to the issue, which would include economic and diplomatic pressure in addition to stronger military pressure to dissuade the terrorist group from its campaign against shipping vessels in the region.

US Military Commanders Sound Alarm Over Houthi Attacks, Demand Stronger Response

The Houthis launched attacks against shipping vessels in the Red Sea after Israel's invasion of the Gaza Strip, which was a response to the Hamas attack Oct. 7. The Houthis claimed they were only attacking ships that did business with Israel, but their attacks hit vessels from dozens of countries, causing significant disruptions and endangering the lives of hundreds of crewmen.

U.S. officials have described the back and forth with the Houthis over the past six months as the "most intense running sea battle," according to The Associated Press. One commander told the outlet that the Houthis launch missiles, drones, or "some other type of attack" nearly every day.

US Military Commanders Sound Alarm Over Houthi Attacks, Demand Stronger Response

"I don't think people really understand just kind of how deadly serious it is what we're doing and how under threat the ships continue to be," Cmdr. Eric Blomberg with the USS Laboon told the AP on a visit to his warship on the Red Sea.

"We only have to get it wrong once," he said. "The Houthis just have to get one through."

US Military Commanders Sound Alarm Over Houthi Attacks, Demand Stronger Response

Rear Adm. Marc Miguez of the U.S. Navy revealed during an interview that more aggressive strategies had been suggested but were rejected over fears of an Iranian response. Miguez did not specify what these strategies entailed, but suggested they could have involved more aggressive military strikes against Houthi targets.

"There are definite strategies that were put forward, but our National Command Authority decided that those — I would call more aggressive postures and more aggressive strikes — was not something we wanted to challenge," Miguez said.

US Military Commanders Sound Alarm Over Houthi Attacks, Demand Stronger Response

An NSC spokesperson denied that the Biden administration decided against a more aggressive policy toward the Houthis out of concern about Iran's response. The spokesperson said that the U.S. has "aggressively employed a whole-of-government approach" in response to the Houthis, including sanctions, listing the group as a specially designated global terrorist organization, and disrupting the group's supply lines.

On August 21, the Houthis attacked a Greek-flagged oil tanker in the Red Sea, leaving it "not under command" and drifting ablaze. While the Houthis did not directly take credit for the attack, the British military labeled the group as responsible. The strike highlighted the ongoing threat posed by the Houthis to maritime traffic in the region.

US Military Commanders Sound Alarm Over Houthi Attacks, Demand Stronger Response

Military commanders have raised concerns that the Pentagon's current response to the Houthi threat in the Red Sea is insufficient. They are calling for a more aggressive approach that includes economic, diplomatic, and military pressure to deter the terrorist group from continuing its attacks against shipping vessels. The Biden administration has defended its current approach but has acknowledged the need to continue working with allies and partners to address the threat posed by the Houthis.