US Navy can’t stop Yemeni attacks with force alone: US Commander
The US Navy’s mission to repel the operations of the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) will not suffice on its own to prevent the Yemeni attacks on merchant vessels, the admiral leading operations in the Middle East acknowledged this week, the Business Insider news website reported.
Shortly after the start of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip, the YAF imposed an entry ban into the Israeli-occupied ports of Palestine and has been targeting ships that violate the decision.
They vowed that these operations will not cease until the aggression is halted and the siege on the Palestinian people in Gaza is lifted.
Vice Adm. George Wikoff, commander of US Naval Forces Central Command, emphasized that addressing the Yemeni threat requires more than just military might. Instead, he suggested that Washington and its allies must explore alternative methods to exert pressure on the YAF.
“The solution is not going to come at the end of a weapon system,” Wikoff suggested Wednesday during an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“It’s going to be the international community,” he added.
US officials have claimed that for over eight months, their forces have been actively defending key shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden from persistent Yemeni missile and drone attacks, but to no avail, as the Yemeni Armed Forces have continued their operations tirelessly.
His assessment aligns with previous statements by US officials, acknowledging that military actions alone have not been sufficient to halt the Yemeni attacks.
