what are you gonna do about it then, sink a few? Allow them to resupply the Houthi tools? Dither further? Preznit MomJeans is a Pantywaist except when dealing with domestic opponentsIran is sending an armada of seven to nine ships ‐ some with weapons ‐ toward Yemen in a potential attempt to resupply the Shia Houthi rebels, according to two U.S. defense officials.
an "in-your-face" move
Officials fear the move could lead to a showdown with the U.S. or other members of a Saudi-led coalition, which is enforcing a naval blockade of Yemen and is conducting its fourth week of airstrikes against the Houthis.
fear? Why not take the provocation as what it is, a challenge?
Iran sent a destroyer and another vessel to waters near Yemen last week but said it was part of a routine counter-piracy mission.
What's unusual about the new deployment, which set out this week, is that the Iranians are not trying to conceal it, officials said. Instead, they appear to be trying to "communicate it" to the U.S. and its allies in the Gulf.
they sense weakness
It is not clear what will happen as the convoy comes closer to Yemen. Saudi Arabia has deployed ships around Yemen to enforce the blockade, as has Egypt. An official said the ship convoy could try to land at a port in Aden, which the Houthis have taken over.
Although the U.S. is assisting with the Saudi-led air campaign, it is not participating in the naval blockade of Yemen, said U.S. Central Command spokesman Col. Pat Ryder.
sink a few "inexplicably"
However, the U.S. Navy is in the region and has already "consensually boarded" one Panamanian-flagged ship in the Red Sea on April 1 on the suspicion it was illegally carrying arms for the Houthis.
| If I had to guess, I'd guess the Egyptian navy has units in the region. They might try an interdiction. |