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DC-Based Think Tank: Red Sea Operation to Cost Team Biden Highly

© AP Photo / Hani MohammedA Houthi rebel fighter holds his a weapon during a gathering aimed at mobilizing more fighters for the Iranian-backed Houthi movement, in Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020. The Houthi rebels control the capital, Sanaa, and much of the country’s north, where most of the population lives. They are at war with a U.S.-backed, Saudi-led coalition fighting on behalf of the internationally recognized government.
A Houthi rebel fighter holds his a weapon during a gathering aimed at mobilizing more fighters for the Iranian-backed Houthi movement, in Sanaa, Yemen, Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020. The Houthi rebels control the capital, Sanaa, and much of the country’s north, where most of the population lives. They are at war with a U.S.-backed, Saudi-led coalition fighting on behalf of the internationally recognized government. - Sputnik International, 1920, 21.12.2023
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The military op against the Houthis will be expensive for the US, especially if it escalates into a regional conflict, a DC-based think tank has warned.
The Houthis have made it clear that they are to proceed with attacks in the Red Sea following US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's announcement of a new US-led Operation Prosperity Guardian in the region.
As per the Pentagon, the Yemeni Shiite group has carried out 100 drone and missile attacks since October 7. The Houthis have recently stepped up their assaults in the Red Sea against US warships and Israeli-linked vessels in a bid to force Tel Aviv into halting its ground operation in the Gaza Strip.
The assaults have demonstrated that the Yemen militants possess a sizable and relatively advanced arsenal, according to the US press. What's more, Houthi drones and missiles are cheaper than US interceptors used to shoot them down.
© © Photo: YouTube/لإعلام الحربي اليمنيHouthi presentation showcasing its drones
Houthi presentation showcasing its drones - Sputnik International, 1920, 21.12.2023
Houthi presentation showcasing its drones
Therefore, it would cost Washington a "pretty penny" to defend the sea lanes going through the Suez Canal and the Red Sea, according to the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft:
Each US munition used to intercept the Houthi rockets and drones costs between $1 million and $4.3 million;
US missiles reportedly used to shoot down Houthi projectiles and UAVs include the SM-2 ($2.1 million); SM-6 ($4.3 million); ESSM Sea Sparrows ($1.7 million); and Rolling Airframe missile ($905,000);
US ships cannot reload in the Red Sea and will have to return to port if the kinetic activity goes on much longer, which also means additional costs.
A picture taken on October 12, 2012 from the Egyptian port of Ismalia, 120 kilometers northeast of Cairo, shows US army destroyer USS Porter crossing the Suez Canal. - Sputnik International, 1920, 19.12.2023
World
US Escalation in the Red Sea – A Lose/Lose Proposition
The conflict in the Red Sea threatens to become protracted given that neither warring side is inclined to back down.

The Biden administration has already gathered a 10-nation coalition and sent additional warships to the region. Top Houthi commander Mohammed al-Bukhaiti tweeted on December 19 that "Even if America succeeds in mobilizing the entire world, our military operations will not stop … no matter the sacrifices it costs us." Israel is also showing no signs of scaling down its military op in the Gaza Strip where civilian casualties are continuing to stockpile.

Under these circumstances, there is a serious threat of the Red Sea turning into a new war theater, according to the DC-based think tank.
In that case, the costs related to the US-led task force in the Red Sea could become much higher, especially at the time when the US has been depleting its military arsenals supporting proxy war efforts in Ukraine and Israel's Gaza war.
To complicate matters further, the Red Sea op may expose US troops and sailors to danger. "It is important for the American people to assess if what happens next is truly in the national interest," the DC-based think tank concluded.
A silhouette of tribesmen loyal to Houthi rebels raise their weapons as they chant slogans during a gathering against the agreement to establish diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates in Sanaa, Yemen, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2020.  - Sputnik International, 1920, 20.12.2023
Analysis
Pepe Escobar: Yemen Ready to Stare Down a New Imperial Coalition
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