Yemen Monitor/ Washington/ Exclusive:
The admiral overseeing operations in the Middle East said this week that the US Navy’s mission against the Houthis will not be enough on its own to prevent the Iran-backed Houthi group from attacking vulnerable commercial vessels.
Vice Admiral George Wikoff, commander of US naval forces in Central Command, said that dealing with the Houthis will require more than just force and firepower, and that Washington and its allies must find alternative ways to pressure the group.
“The solution won’t ultimately come through weapons, it will be the international community,” Wikoff said on Wednesday at an event organized by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
For more than eight months, US forces have been operating in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to deter Houthi attacks using single-use attack drones, naval boats, and anti-ship missiles to threaten commercial vessels and US warships deployed in the region.
US ships and aircraft have used hundreds of munitions to intercept Houthi missiles and drones on a regular basis and strike Houthi positions inside Yemeni territory, targeting assets such as weapons, launchers, and radar sites.
Senior US officials have repeatedly said that these efforts are aimed at denying the Houthis the ability to launch attacks. But even this week, the rebels continued to launch missiles and drones at the surrounding waters.
“We have certainly succeeded in reducing their capabilities. There is no doubt about that. But have we succeeded in stopping them? No,” Wikoff said.
He added that “our mission remains to disrupt their capabilities and try to maintain some semblance of maritime order while we give the opportunity to develop a policy against the Houthis.”
“This is a global problem – the whole world is affected by this problem. And certainly we can try through some warships and some sailors and some people who are doing their best to maintain maritime security. But this is going to require a global solution,” Wikoff said.
Wikoff added, “The more players we have on the field who can participate in diplomacy and naval cuts, the better our position will be in terms of chances of success.”
Wikoff’s assessment is consistent with similar statements made by US officials that the military action taken so far has been unable to stop the Houthis.
