US Slams Iran for Houthis Scandal, Tactical Intelligence Support
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Alaina
- . December 29, 2023
- . Update: December 29, 2023 10:31 am
The US has been left scrambling to counter Houthis’ attacks in the Red Sea waterways. The National Security Council is blaming Iran for supporting the Houthis by providing them with intelligence.
To counter the attacks, the US formed a multi-national naval task force “Operation Prosperity Guardian”. But this has unnerved allies in the region. Only launched a week ago, Italy and Spain have stepped back from the maritime coalition.
The Iran-backed Houthis have attacked dozens of ships, including merchant vessels, with drones and missiles since November 19.
Iran Provides Houthis with Intelligence
Adrienne Watson, National Security Council spokeswoman, said they know that Iran is deeply involved in planning the operations against commercial vessels in the Red Sea. “This is consistent with Iran’s long-term material support and encouragement of the Houthis’ destabilizing actions in the region. Iranian support to these Houthi operations remains critical. We know the intelligence picture which the Houthis use to operate in the maritime space is reliant on Iranian-provided monitoring systems.”
She believes Iranian-provided tactical intelligence has been critical in enabling Houthi targeting of maritime vessels. Watson noted that the Islamic Republic has provided advanced weapons systems to the Houthis, including drones, land-attack cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles since 2015. These weapons have been used in recent attacks in the Red Sea.
Houthis on Moral War
A member of the Houthis’ ruling council Mohammed Albukhaiti defended the rebel group’s attacks saying it’s a moral war. “Our war is a moral war, and therefore, no matter how many alliances America mobilizes, our military operations will not stop.”
The Houthis are targeting Israeli-flagged vessels in the Red Sea. It said ships with no links with Israel will have nothing to worry as the group only targets vessels owned by Israel or taking goods to and from Israel.
It should be noted that the Red Sea, one of the world’s most important routes for oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments as well as consumer goods, is the entry point for ships using the Suez Canal. Houthi attacks have prompted shipping companies to divert their vessels, re-route around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, this increases sailing time and costs.
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Iran Says No Involvement with Houthis
Iran seems to have let its militia groups on the loose. After claiming that Tehran wasn’t aware of Hamas’ plans or intentions of the October 7 Al-Aqsa Flood, attacks on Israel, the Islamic Republic says it has no involvement in the attacks in the Red Sea.
Ali Bagheri, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, said the Houthis were acting on their own. “The resistance (Houthis) has its own tools and acts in accordance with its own decisions and capabilities. The fact that certain powers, such as Americans and Israelis, suffer strikes from the resistance movement should in no way call into question the reality of the strengthen of the resistance in the region.”
