As the Iran-aligned Houthi militia continues to attack vessels in the Red Sea, despite retaliation from the U.S. military, former NATO commander and retired U.S. Navy Admiral James Stavridis said the White House needs a "more aggressive" response.
Stavridis, who served as supreme allied commander of NATO from 2009 to 2013, appeared on an MSNBC segment that aired on Wednesday to discuss the Biden administration's strategy to deter the Houthi rebel attacks.
"The White House I think is going to have to move toward a response that's more aggressive against the Houthis ashore," Stavridis said. "That means going after an Iranian proxy that is going to inflate tension."
Iran-backed Houthi rebels have mounted attacks on commercial ships passing through the Red Sea for weeks, often using anti-ship missiles or attack drones to strike vessels. Despite provoking retaliation from the U.S. military with American warships shooting down multiple drones last month, the attacks have continued.
On December 31, Houthis attacked U.S. Navy helicopters in the Red Sea, prompting the American aircraft to sink three Houthi boats—killing their crews.
The Houthi rebels said they are targeting vessels associated with Israel as the Middle Eastern country continues its ground offensive against Palestinian militant group Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
After Hamas' October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promptly declared war on Hamas, unleashing the heaviest-ever airstrikes on Gaza. Israeli officials have said that 1,200 people were killed in the Hamas assault, according to the Associated Press, while the Gaza Ministry of Health says more than 22,000 Palestinians have died in the conflict.
Newsweek reached out via email on Wednesday to Stavridis for comment.
The former NATO commander told MSNBC host Andrea Mitchell that the U.S. military needs to get "the attention of Tehran" by striking onshore targets.
"I think in order to really get the attention of the Houthis and really, we're talking the attention of Tehran, it's going to require strikes ashore against the Houthi land infrastructure," Stavridis said. "Fuel depots, docks, the means that they are using to exploit, as well as most obviously their missile launch sites, which are directly targeting U.S. warships, that's unsustainable from a U.S. military perspective."
In response to Newsweek's request for an interview, a White House spokesperson shared a joint online statement released Wednesday by the U.S. and several other nations that condemns the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
The statement blasts the violence, saying they are delaying the delivery of numerous goods, and "ultimately jeopardizing the movement of critical food, fuel, and humanitarian assistance throughout the world."
In the statement, the U.S. joined Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore and the United Kingdom in demanding that the strikes cease.
"We call for the immediate end of these illegal attacks and release of unlawfully detained vessels and crews," the joint statement reads. "The Houthis will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and free flow of commerce in the region's critical waterways."
However, the statement does not detail what, if any, action the U.S. and its allies would take against the Iranian-aligned rebels to deter the attacks.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Maura Zurick is the Newsweek Weekend Night Editor based in Cleveland, Ohio. Her focus is reporting on U.S. national news ... Read more
