For several months, the Houthis have been intensively attacking ships passing through the Red Sea, with the United States (U.S.) bearing the brunt of the cost, as it is responsible for protecting commercial vessels in this part of the world.
Since November of the previous year, when the Houthis intensified attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, the U.S. has spent millions of dollars on defending these ships.
U.S. media report that the conflict favors the Yemeni group because they primarily use cheap drones that are relatively quick to produce, while the U.S. has to invest large amounts of money and equipment to adequately defend their targets.
In addition to money, the U.S. is also expending other resources, such as stationing its combat vessels in the region. These vessels are used not only to defend commercial ships but also as bases for attacks on the Houthis.
It is estimated that 800 missiles have been fired at Houthi positions in Yemen, and seven bombings have been carried out since November. All of this costs a lot of money and requires intensive resources, which, according to U.S. politicians, should be conserved for other purposes.
Although the Houthis have stated that their targets are vessels linked to Israel, they have not been selective in their attacks, leading to an escalation of the conflict, and forcing the U.S. to bring even more military resources into the Red Sea region.
Politicians in Washington warn that these battles will lead to an increase in the U.S. Department of Defense budget, far beyond what was anticipated. The budget for 2024 was set at 841.4 billion dollars, but there are fears that even more money will be needed to maintain the highest level of preparedness in the coming period.
Additionally, they accuse Iran of aiding the Houthis, claiming that it is the reason this Yemeni group can obtain cheap drones that can be easily mass-produced. Some even suggest striking Iran as the financier of the Houthis, though analysts warn that this could lead to a much larger conflict.
Furthermore, in nine months of U.S. naval actions in the Red Sea, over 135 Tomahawk missiles have been fired, each costing around 2 million dollars. Additionally, there have been 155 other missiles used, estimated to cost between 2 to 4 million dollars each.
The problem for the U.S., according to analysts, is that the resources being used in the fight against the Houthis could be extremely important in any potential conflict with China. Although the U.S. military-industrial complex has the capacity to produce large quantities of weapons and ammunition, it may not be sufficient if a conflict with China, whose military capabilities remain largely secret, were to occur, Klix.ba writes.
E.Dz.
