The good news is that no ships were damaged or sunk. There are no reports of any casualties, but this crisis in the Red Sea concerning the Houthis and, by proxy, the Iranians is only going to intensify, especially if Israel continues its operations in Gaza.
That’s not to suggest that the IDF should cease its righteous campaign to eradicate Hamas; these terror groups would find another reason to attack American warships in the region. Suppose they’re using the current Israeli invasion of Gaza, as the Houthis are, to justify these attacks on American ships and international vessels. In that case, we should be prepared for an extended deployment at sea: Israel is going to remain in Gaza long after Hamas is annihilated.
We’ve had naval vessels operating in the region for years, even predating the international effort to curb Somalian piracy. Yet, blowing up small watercrafts full of Somali pirates is much different than countering anti-ship ballistic missiles (via ABC News):
A United States Navy ship in the Red Sea shot down a ballistic missile and a drone on Thursday night, officials confirmed to ABC News.
The USS Mason shot down one drone and an anti-ship ballistic missile fired by the Houthis -- an armed group backed by Iran -- into the Southern Red Sea, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said.
Eighteen ships, mostly cargo ships, were in the area at the time; however, CENTCOM said there was no damage to any of the vessels and no reported injuries.
Thursday night's attack was the 22nd attempted attack by the Houthi rebels on international shipping since mid-October.
Due to the escalating crisis in the Red Sea, the U.S. recently announced it had launched an international task force for maritime security.
Spencer wrote about how our presence in the region isn’t enough to deter Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. It’s bound to cause chaos if not dealt with swiftly, however. Right now, the US doesn’t have the political leadership to handle this crisis.