Trump takes on The Houthis

[ImmediateReaction]

https://www.newarab.com/news/21-killed-yemen-trump-launches-strikes-against-houthis

He wants them to stop interfering with boats.

Maybe that's why he is friends with Putin so he can deal with Iran, who fund the Houthis, and various other terrorist organisations.

12 Houthis killed? (nine civilians were killed and story doesn't mention who the other dead were).

The Houthi attack on American vessels will not be tolerated. We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective," Trump wrote.

On Tuesday, the Houthis said they would resume attacks on Israeli ships passing through the Red and Arabian seas, the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden, ending a period of relative calm starting in January with the Gaza ceasefire.

In ordering a pre-emptive attack on the Houthis in Yemen, President Trump hopes to succeed where all others have failed, taking on a foe that has outlasted powerful enemies for years.
U.S. officials said Sunday the attacks were designed as a show of overwhelming force, far more intense than the strike order under the Biden administration to take out the Houthis capacity to harass Red Sea shipping lanes. The attacks also hit directly at the Houthi leadership, officials said—something the Biden administration decided against.

Trump still taking on The Houthis. The leaked WhatsApp messages talked about this. Quietly taking on terrorists that would disrupt shipping.

It's good they are quietly taking on terrorists. Concerning that they chat about it on WhatsApp so loosely.

https://theconversation.com/why-is-the-us-group-chat-on-houthi-attack-plans-so-concerning-a-military-operations-expert-explains-253029

It's extremely strange that they would discuss classified information on WhatsApp groups.

@ImmediateReaction sky news have a live feed on it if you are interested. It's much worse than made out in the above article

"Mike Waltz, White House national security adviser, criticised the limited capabilities of European navies.
He wrote: "Whether it's now or several weeks from now, it will have to be the United States that reopens these shipping lanes.
"Per the president's request we are working with DOD and State to determine how to compile the cost associated and levy them on the Europeans."
JD Vance addressed Pete Hegseth, Trump's defence secretary, in a message reading: "If you think we should do it, let's go. I just hate bailing Europe out again."
Hegseth replied: "VP: I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It's PATHETIC."

Very unprofessional but thinking back to Boris et al and covid as an example powerful people do stupid things

Yes I agree it's awful.

The support given to the US after September 11th and its various military endeavours, forgotten. Then this scathing commentary.

100% agree, to call us 'pathetic European free-loaders' from one of our closest allies is extremely unreasonable. I haven't seen any but I'm sure there must be a thread on this, it's breaking news.

I've not looked. You'd imagine there'd be a thread on it, I don't know

I started a main thread . Originally posted here since talking security about The Houthis

Maybe that's why he is friends with Putin so he can deal with Iran, who fund the Houthis, and various other terrorist organisations

But up till very recently at least Putin and Iran were friends! -

Voice of America
Russia increases arms trade with UN-embargoed nations to feed Ukraine war
November 19, 2024

Russia has been buying artillery shells and missiles from North Korea, buying drones and ballistic missiles from Iran and strengthening ties with the Taliban in Afghanistan to sustain its war in Ukraine.

All three governments are under U.N. embargoes that prohibit arms trade and financial dealings with the countries to curtail weapons proliferation and human rights abuses. Russia, a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, has also provided diplomatic support to Iran and North Korea, including by vetoing sanctions.

Iran
Iran has supplied Moscow with more than 2,000 Shahed-136/131 kamikaze drones and 18 Mohajer-6 drones since Russia's full-scale military invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Russia extensively used the Iranian drones to attack Ukraine’s critical infrastructure and civilian targets, and to deplete Kyiv’s air defense systems.
Ukraine said in September that Russia had deployed more than 8,060 Iranian-designed drones since the beginning of the full-fledged war. This number includes both Iranian-made drones and drones manufactured in a factory in the Russian republic of Tatarstan using Iranian parts and technology.

Additionally, Iran has helped replenish Russia’s munitions, providing hundreds of ballistic missiles in 2024.

Russia has reportedly pledged to supply Iran with Su-35 fighter jets and advanced air defense systems. Some Russian technology, such as the Yak-130 aircraftfor training Su-35 pilots, has already reached Iran, though the extent remains unclear.
Iran also provides propaganda support to Russia aligning the top government officials’ rhetoric and the news media language with the Kremlin’s Ukraine narratives. For example, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei described on multiple occasions Russia’s aggression as a “defensive act” against an imperialistic West and NATO.

and Jan 2025
The Times of Israel:
“Iran and Russia to ink ‘strategic partnership’ deal as Tehran seeks money, arms”

No one has "friends" when it comes to Trump and Putin, they are just two greedy men who will do whatever they can to look tough and "win".

We should be forming a trade and military coalition with EU and Canada so we don't have to rely on them again. Something we should have considered properly before Brexit rather than all the fear-mongering about the EU army; we've always known we need to be united.