US Strikes on the Houthis Serve as a Clear Warning to Iran

365

October 17, 2024

Published in Der Standard
(Austria) on 17 October 2024
by Gudrun Harrer (link to original link to original)

Translated from by Kirsty Low. Edited by Laurence Bouvard.

The U.S. is deploying stealth bombers to target five underground Houthi weapons depots in Yemen. This is aimed at both them and their mentor figures in Tehran.

The Pentagon's statement concerns Yemen and seems directed at Iran: The operation targeting five underground Houthi weapons depots is described as "a unique demonstration of the United States' ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified." The U.S. used its B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, but no information was provided about their point of departure or the munitions used. The largest option, the 30,000-pound bunker buster bomb MOP, will not have been used, so there's still untapped potential.

Like Hezbollah, the Houthis have joined Hamas in the war against Israel. Due to their limited range, they have resorted to targeting merchant ships in the Red Sea, although some individual drones have managed to reach Israel. So far, the U.S., which has launched a protection mission, has acted relatively defensively.

A Statement Aimed at Tehran

The preemptive and spectacular destruction of weapons belonging to the Iran-backed Houthis is not only intended to diminish their military capabilities but is also a precursor to an expected exchange of blows between Israel and Iran. Israel itself may not have B-2 bombers or the necessary ammunition for certain operations in Iran, but the U.S. has them and is capable of using them.

Der US-Angriff auf die Huthis ist eine klare Warnung an den Iran

Die USA greifen mit Tarnkappenbombern fünf unterirdische Waffendepots der Huthis im Jemen an. Das gilt nicht nur ihnen, sondern auch ihrem Mentor in Teheran.

Die Erklärung des US-Pentagon betrifft den Jemen und liest sich wie eine Nachricht an den Iran: Der Einsatz gegen fünf unterirdische Waffendepots der Huthis sei "eine einmalige Demonstration der Fähigkeit der USA, Anlagen zu treffen, die unsere Gegner außer unserer Reichweite halten wollen, gleich wie tief unterirdisch und befestigt sie sind". Die USA setzten ihre B-2-Spirit-Tarnkappenbomber ein, zu deren Ausgangsort und zur Munition gab es keine Angaben. Die größte, die 30.000-Pfund-Bunkerbrecher-Bombe MOP, wird es nicht gewesen sein, da gibt es also noch Luft nach oben.

Die Huthis haben, wie die Hisbollah, an der Seite der Hamas den Krieg gegen Israel aufgenommen, mangels ihrer Reichweite – wobei einzelne Drohnen bis Israel durchkommen – attackieren sie seither Handelsschiffe im Roten Meer. Bisher haben die USA, die eine Schutzmission ins Leben gerufen haben, eher defensiv agiert.

Signal an Teheran

Die proaktive und spektakuläre Zerstörung von Waffen der Iran-unterstützten Huthis hat nicht nur den Zweck, deren militärische Fähigkeiten zu degradieren, sondern steht im Vorfeld eines erwarteten Schlagabtauschs zwischen Israel und dem Iran: Israel mag selbst keine B-2-Bomber und nicht die nötige Munition für gewisse Operationen im Iran besitzen. Aber die USA haben sie und können sie einsetzen.

This post appeared on the front page as a direct link to the original article with the above link .

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