U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin says that it’s time to significantly disable Iran-backed militias that have attacked U.S. forces and ships in the Middle EastBy TARA COPP, LOLITA C. BALDOR and JON GAMBRELL Associated PressFebruary 1, 2024, 7:02 AM ET• 4 min readWASHINGTON — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated on Thursday that it’s time to further put out of action Iran-backed militias that have attacked U.S. forces and ships in the Middle East, and the U.S. is getting ready to take substantial action in response to the deaths of three U.S. service members in Jordan. The U.S. has hinted that strikes are imminent for several days. Even though the threat of retaliation for Sunday’s deaths persuaded some militant groups to announce the cessation of hostilities, Yemen’s Houthi rebels were still carrying out attacks on vessels as late as Thursday, and they fired a ballistic missile at a Liberian-flagged container ship in the Red Sea. “At this point, it’s time to take away even more capability than we’ve taken in the past,” Austin said on Thursday in his first press conference since being hospitalized on Jan. 1 due to complications from prostate cancer treatment. Previous U.S. strikes have not deterred the attacks. Since the conflict between Israel and Hamas erupted in October, Iranian-backed militant groups have struck U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria at least 166 times with rockets, missiles and one-way attack drones, resulting in about a half-dozen U.S. counterstrikes on militant facilities in both countries. The U.S. military has also carried out airstrikes targeting the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen. The U.S. has attributed the attack on Tower 22 in Jordan to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias that includes the militant group Kataib Hezbollah. Although Iran has denied involvement, Austin said on Thursday, “how much Iran knew or didn’t know, we don’t know. But it really doesn’t matter because Iran sponsors these groups.” Austin stated “without that facilitation, these kinds of things don’t happen.” He added that the Pentagon is still examining the forensics of the drone that struck Tower 22, a covert base in northeastern Jordan vital to the American presence in neighboring Syria. “I don’t think the adversaries are of a ‘one and done’ mindset. And so they have a lot of capability. I have a lot more,” Austin said. “We’re going to do what’s necessary to protect our troops.” In the Red Sea, the Houthis have attacked commercial and military ships almost 40 times since November. In the most recent attack, they fired a ballistic missile at the M/V Koi, a Liberian-flagged container ship on Thursday, U.S. Central Command said. The ship’s management could not immediately be reached for comment. The Houthis did not claim responsibility for the assault. The attack occurred west of Hodeida, a port city in Yemen long held by the rebels, said the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a British military group overseeing Mideast waterways. Also on Thursday, Central Command stated that it had destroyed two more Houthi-fired drones. One drone was shot down in the Gulf of Aden, and a few hours later, an uncrewed surface vehicle, a drone that travels through water, was struck in self defense in the Red Sea, Central Command said. The Houthis claim they are targeting ships in response to Israel’s offensive in Gaza against Hamas. However, they have frequently targeted vessels with tenuous or no clear links to Israel, endangering shipping in a crucial route for global trade between Asia, the Middle East and Europe. The Houthis hit a commercial vessel with a missile on Jan. 26, sparking a fire that burned for hours. The Pentagon has the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower in the region, along with at least a half dozen other major U.S. warships, U.S. Air Force fighter jets and radar aircraft. It has already been regularly using those assets to conduct strikes and defend ships. Late Wednesday, American F/A-18 fighter jets struck and destroyed 10 Houthi drones that were prepared to launch, as well as a ground control station used by the rebels, the U.S. military said. The U.S. also intercepted a ballistic missile and other drones already in the air during the day.___Gambrell reported from Jerusalem.
