US officials: Second Red Sea Front Would Gurther Strain US Navy
Current and former US officials told Reuters that Yemen’s threat to impose a maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea could significantly widen the scope of the conflict and increase pressure on the US military.
A former senior Pentagon official said Washington would have to divide its resources between two active fronts if it intervenes in Yemen, adding that a new Red Sea confrontation could require moving US warships from the Gulf closer to Yemen to conduct operations.
The official warned that continued US interception of Yemeni drones and missiles could worsen concerns over declining stocks of American ammunition and air-defense missiles.
Another US official said Yemen has repeatedly demonstrated its ability and readiness to disrupt navigation in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait. The official added that despite previous US campaigns against Yemen under both the Biden and Trump administrations, Washington failed to eliminate Yemen’s ability to threaten maritime traffic.
The officials acknowledged that despite the US military being the world’s most funded force, it still faces resource constraints, as many systems likely needed for operations in Yemen are currently being used in the aggression against Iran.
A retired US Marine officer at the Center for Strategic and International Studies said opening a second front in the Red Sea would place further strain on the US Navy.
Earlier on Monday, the Yemeni Armed Forces announced the immediate enforcement of a maritime ban on the Saudi enemy under the “blockade for blockade” equation, saying the measure was a response to the continued blockade and recent escalation, including Saudi airstrikes on Sana’a International Airport.