CNN reports that the Biden administration is having great difficulty containing the ongoing attacks by the Houthis against ships traversing the Red Sea.
The further report that the alleged Iran-back group is continuing to stockpile weapons inside Yemen.
This is despite airstrikes carried out by the United States and the United Kingdom in recent weeks.
Statement from Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Sing
"We know that the Houthis maintain a large arsenal," Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said on Thursday, hours after the Houthis hit yet another cargo vessel in the Gulf of Aden with ballistic missiles. "They are very capable; they have sophisticated weapons, and that's because they continue to get them from Iran."
US officials appear to be clueless in containing the threat. Some argue that simple brute force has proven to be ineffective, as well as expensive and impractical.
Multimillion-dollar weapons systems are being used to take down cheap drones and missiles. Hawks outside of the administration believe Biden and the company have taken a conservative approach and need to focus more on targeting Houthi leadership instead of weapons depots.
Since the Houthi attacks on shipping through the Red Sea began in October, US Central Command has been regularly and preemptively attacking Houthi weapons when they appear ready to launch.
However, they have no way of knowing exactly how much damage such attacks are causing nor the percentage of equipment that has actually been destroyed thus far.
"They continue to surprise us," said one senior defense official, referring to the Houthis. "We just don't have a good idea of what they still have."
The US Navy has struck dozens of Houthi targets since January, and the Houthis have dug in-building tunnels near Yemen's western coast and staying underground more regularly.
US Central Command also believes the Houthis are increasingly concerned about the prospects of their senior leadership being targetted, which some believe is a good sign because the more time spent hiding means there's less time to launch attacks on shipping.
"The US campaign against the Houthis appears to bear the hallmarks of many of these highly circumscribed, scrubbed campaigns of the past where we seek to avoid causing them actual pain," said one former US military official speaking on the condition of anonymity.
