Yemen's Houthis Augment Attacks on Israel and U.S. Forces in the Red Sea

A barrage of cruise missiles was fired from Yemen at diverse Israeli military sites on Wednesday, a Houthi military official said, as the group still prepares to launch more strikes on Israel and the American forces in the Red Sea.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahia Sarea indicated that yesterday's ballistic missiles were aimed at Israeli locations in Eilat to the south of occupied Palestine. This is the third time the group has claimed responsibility for launching missile and drone attacks on Israel.

Hours after the Houthi declaration of launching missiles at Israel, the United States Central Command said an American warship shot down "multiple one-way attack drones" launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen on Thursday morning local time.

The Destroyer, USS Thomas Hudner, shot the drones down while it was on patrol in the Red Sea, said the U.S. Central Command in a statement. It added that there had been no damage to the ship or injuries sustained by the crew.

The launch of this fresh batch of missiles and drones comes three days after the Houthi group managed to seize an Israeli-linked ship in the Red Sea off Yemen, raising concerns about the security of the international marine routes.

Houthi leaders say the backers of Israel are also a legitimate target, which means American forces or European ships in the Red Sea will be at risk. On November 15, the American warship USS Thomas Hudner shot down a drone from Yemen as it was "heading in the direction of the ship," said the Central Command at the time.

Amidst the Houthi continued missile and drone strikes at Israel and American forces in the Red Sea, American military experts say the Houthi group can cause more damage to the American forces in the region should the threats remain unaddressed.

Jonathan Sweet, who served 30 years as a military intelligence officer, co-authored a recent article illustrating the weaknesses of the American forces in the region. He said that Djibouti-based Camp Lemonnier, which is the primary base of operations for U.S. Africa Command in the Horn of Africa, presents the most lucrative target in the region for Iran and the Houthis. The Camp Lemonnier accommodates roughly "4,000 U.S., joint and allied forces military and civilian personnel and U.S. Department of Defense contractors."

According to Sweet, the base is easily within the drone and missile striking range of Houthis, and Camp Lemonnier is not "built to defend against, nor withstand, those types of attack. It likely would be a mass casualty-producing event."

Sweet considered the Houthi attack on the U.S. base in Djibouti preventable, saying, "The U.S. must immediately implement an active defense against Houthi rebels operating in Yemen and elsewhere."