US Central Command tweeted:
On Jan. 15 at approximately 4 p.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthi militants fired an anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and struck the M/V Gibraltar Eagle, a Marshall Islands-flagged, U.S.-owned and operated container ship. The ship has reported no injuries or significant damage and is continuing its journey.Earlier in the day, at approximately 2 p.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Forces detected an anti-ship ballistic missile fired toward the Southern Red Sea commercial shipping lanes. The missile failed in flight and impacted on land in Yemen. There were no injuries or damage reported.
In other words, the US and UK airstrikes accomplished literally nothing. They might have even prompted the Houthis to attack more uninvolved ships. After all, it is the chance of a successful attack that derails shipping traffic to the Red Sea, not actual successful attacks.
The US pretty much screamed that it was going to do some limited strikes, and is not interested in starting a war. The Houthis are seeing their popularity soaring by standing up to the US.
Whatever happened to understanding the enemy? Anyone who studies the Houthi terrorists could have predicted this.
Deterrence for an enemy like that has got to hurt enough to make them think twice. When the enemy embraces martyrdom and enjoys forcing a superpower to dance to its tune, that becomes a lot more tricky.
Right now, the Houthis feel that they are in a better place than they were beforehand. US and UK actions need to be a lot more creative and a lot less predictable, not to mention cause damage in a way that makes the Houthis feel that they would lose their grip on Yemen altogether. Anything less than that and they look to themselves and to much of the Arab (especially Shiite) world as winners, with more incentive to attack more ships.
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