The Pentagon insisted on Wednesday that the conflict between Israel and Hamas has not spread across the region, as violence escalates following a U.S.-led attack on Houthi strongholds in Yemen and retaliatory attacks on U.S.-flagged commercial ships. did.
Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said at a press conference Wednesday that the U.S. and U.K. have conducted a more detailed assessment of the attacks carried out in Yemen's Houthi-held areas aimed at reducing the ability of Iranian-backed militants to carry out their operations. refused to provide. Further attacks on international shipping, or two additional unilateral attacks by the United States. Since then, the Houthis have made their first successful attack on a U.S.-flagged or U.S.-owned commercial vessel, and other Middle Eastern powers have also expanded their range of violence.
“We will continue to work with our partners in the region to prevent these attacks or deter future attacks, and to prevent the Israeli-Hamas conflict from escalating into the broader region. “We will continue to work hard to resolve the dispute,” Ryder said.
“We currently assess that fighting between Israel and Hamas remains contained in the Gaza Strip,” he added. (Related article: US Navy seizes Iranian weapons intended to supply Houthi rebels)
Biden administration officials reiterated that the actions taken by the Pentagon in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel were aimed at containing the conflict.
Ryder also questioned how many of the Houthis' weapons depots and launch sites were destroyed in airstrikes, citing concerns about operational security and whether the Houthis could gain insight into the United States. He declined to provide details on whether the latest spate of attacks occurred from the same location on Thursday. military intelligence capabilities.
On Wednesday, a drone loaded with explosives attacked a Marshall Islands-flagged ship, causing a fire. Genco PicardyU.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) SaidMark. the 4th This was the first incident reported since the US-led attack on targets in Yemen.
The Iranian-backed group, which was already targeting ships with ties to Israel, has expanded its targeting to include commercial vessels owned and operated by the United States. according to to Reuters.
On Monday, the Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile, attacking the U.S. military-owned dry bulk ship Gibraltar Eagle. Said. The US military then destroyed four anti-ship ballistic missiles in Yemen's Houthi-held areas on Tuesday.
UKMTO Warning 013/JAN/2024
Incident 015 – Attack Latest Information 002https://t.co/qlApy9q9pq#Maritime Security #MarchSecond pic.twitter.com/hd6EVKxoxw
— UK Maritime Trading Operations (UKMTO) (@UK_MTO) January 17, 2024
The Pentagon said Thursday night's attack reduced the Houthis' ability to carry out further attacks. But the airstrikes only took away 20% to 30% of the Houthis' total ability to continue firing missiles and drones at international shipping and U.S. naval facilities, The New York Times reported. report.
“It's clear that they maintain some level of capability. And we expected that after they took some action, there would likely be some kind of retaliatory attack. And that's what you're seeing now. “It's something that's happening,” Ryder explained on Wednesday.
Iran has also escalated its violence in recent days, claiming on Monday that it attacked foreign intelligence facilities near Erbil, Iraq and northern Syria. Iran's government said on Tuesday it used “precision missile and drone strikes” to target sites associated with Pakistan's Sunni militant group Jaish al-Adl, CNN report. In both cases there were civilian residences and casualties were reported.America condemned Iran's attack on Iraq is “reckless and inaccurate.”
U.S. officials previously told the Daily Caller News Foundation that no U.S. facilities were affected by the Iraq attack.
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