Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt told Newsmax Monday that the recent attack by Houthi rebels on ships in the Red Sea, including on a U.S. destroyer, is a sign of the "escalating" tensions in the region.
On Sunday, Houthi rebels in Yemen fired missiles at commercial ships in the Red Sea and launched drones at a U.S. warship, which were shot down. U.S. Central Command said in a statement over the weekend: “These attacks represent a direct threat to international commerce and maritime security. They have jeopardized the lives of international crews representing multiple countries around the world.”
The statement further said, “We also have every reason to believe that these attacks, while launched by the Houthis in Yemen, are fully enabled by Iran.”
Holt said on “Wake Up America” that the situation in the Middle East is “getting more and more dangerous.”
He added, “We are watching escalation before our very eyes. But … whenever we say the word ‘Houthi,’ let’s go ahead and throw the word ‘Iran’ in there at the same time.”
Holt went on to note that “The USS Carney is under fire, and what we need now is to know, What is the strategy of the USS Carney out there, our presentation of forces? We don’t see a cost in position on Iran, on Yemen, on the folks who are attacking these ships, we see nothing like that.”
He continued, “So, if we’re not going to deter them with American power, then why did we have American power there in the first place?”
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Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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