Biden Administration Urged to Increase Protection of American Ships in Red Sea

Despite what Biden administration and Pentagon officials have said, U.S. naval forces in the Red Sea and Persian Gulf are clearly under threat, Politico reported Monday.

During an hours long attack Sunday claimed by Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen on commercial ships in the Red Sea, the USS Carney, a Navy destroyer, shot down multiple air drones. It was yet another instance in which the Carney has shot down drones over the Red Sea in the past six weeks.

Even though National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said Tuesday at a news conference “we cannot assess at this time whether the Carney was a target,” Politico reported four Pentagon officials with knowledge of the discussions said U.S. naval forces are under threat in the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf.

“If our ships see something is coming near them or toward them, they are going to assess it as a threat and shoot it down,” said one official, who like others was granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive topic. “You’d be hard-pressed to find another time” U.S. ships have been this challenged in the region.

The U.S. has retaliated against attacks by Iranian proxies in Iraq and Syria. On Sunday, U.S. forces in Iraq observed five militants preparing to launch a one-way attack drone and sent an uncrewed aerial system to take them out, Politico reported, citing the Pentagon. Iraqi forces confirmed the five militants were killed.

But former national security officials said the Biden administration must do more to deter the Houthis from attacking ships in the Red Sea — and other Iran-backed groups from launching additional attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria.

“Near to immediate term, where are the strikes on [Houthi] targets?” Marc Polymeropoulos, a former CIA official, posted on X. “Need to see this ASAP.”

Retired Vice Adm. John Miller, former commander of the U.S. 5th Fleet, told Politico, “We are not taking this seriously,” adding the attacks at sea and in Iraq and Syria “have gone largely unanswered.”

“We’re not deterring anybody right now,” he said.

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