Avast ye mateys! Netanyahu be givin' a message to Biden: If ye won't act, we be takin' on them Houthis ourselves!
2023-12-09
Arrr, 'tis bein' said that the Cap'n o' Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, whispered to President Biden, warnin' him that if the US be not takin' action against the Houthi crew in Yemen, Israel be settin' sail to do so, with cannons blazin'!
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reportedly informed President Biden that Israel will take military action against the Houthi movement in Yemen if the United States does not do so. The Houthi group, which is aligned with Iran, has been causing trouble for Israeli and U.S. forces in the Middle East since the start of Israel's war with Hamas. Tzachi Hanegbi, Israel's national security chief of staff, revealed this intention to journalists Amit Segal and Ben Caspit, stating that Israel will respond to the group's attacks on Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab strait. The Houthi movement has also fired ballistic missiles and armed drones at Israel.The White House, State Department, and Netanyahu's office did not respond to requests for comment regarding these claims. The reports come after three commercial vessels were attacked in the Red Sea, leading a U.S. warship to shoot down several drones that were targeting the vessels. The USS Carney also shot down three Houthi drones in the southern Red Sea. Fortunately, no crew members on the commercial vessels were injured.
Furthermore, the Houthis recently seized a British-owned cargo ship with ties to an Israeli company. In response to their continued attacks, the U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions on 13 individuals and entities involved in funding the Houthis. The Houthis claim that their actions are in support of the Palestinians.
Israel has labeled the attacks on ships as acts of terrorism orchestrated by Iran, and they have emphasized the consequences for international maritime security. In response, a Houthi military spokesperson said that all ships heading to Israeli ports are banned from the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, stating that they will be targeted if Gaza does not receive the necessary food and medicine.