The Axis of Resistance continues its challenge from the Red Sea to the Middle East with numerous actions against Israel, the USA and civilian maritime traffic. On Saturday there was a drone attack on an oil tanker, the Chem Pluto, owned by Israel, about 200 miles south of the Indian coast. Hardly any damage, but a big blow: The US is convinced that the bomb was fired from Iran, perhaps from a base or a mother ship. There was then a spate of “shooting” by the Houthis militias allied with Tehran near the Yemeni coast. Two ballistic missiles were fired, then some drones, including four that were intercepted by an American unit, the Laboon. An oil tanker was narrowly missed and a second was hit by the “bullet”.
The events are part of a single mosaic consisting of the following parts: Any ship bound for Israel or associated with the Jewish state is a target; formations allied with the Ayatollahs that act in solidarity with Hamas; Inspiration from Tehran, which, however, denies any involvement; resorted to various systems to impede the flow of goods into the Jewish state while creating conditions of instability, demonstrating the United States' inability to prevent continued aggression.
After the attack by Palestinian guerrillas on the kibbutz, the resistance axis came into action. The name serves to portray these groups' war and terror initiatives as a “reaction.” At the same time, the most obvious scheme is to shift responsibility by blaming everything on the “resisters,” who sometimes hide behind convenient acronyms. In reality, the factions are, on the one hand, antagonists between Israel and the USA, but on the other hand they pursue a dual agenda: theirs and that of the Iranian sponsor. Resistance is just the name. The numbers collected by the experts are interesting. Since October 7, the Houthis have carried out around a hundred attacks with drones, ballistic missiles and cruise missiles – not always successfully; about fifteen ships were hit; over 100 raids by Shiite militias against American sites in Syria and Iraq; About a hundred container ships have abandoned Red Sea transit and circumnavigated Africa, increasing costs and time.
Washington has formed an air-naval coalition that a handful of countries have joined with distinction. Some, like Italy, have sent their own frigates, which will operate in parallel with the task force but not officially be part of it. Others preferred to provide “secret” support to avoid backlash and embarrassment while supporting a mission that protects freedom of navigation but also acts as a shield for Israel. In fact, Allied units intercepted Yemeni missiles fired toward the port of Eilat on several occasions.
The White House handled the crisis cautiously and weighed the allegations against Iran. However, the frequency of armed provocations has led to tougher positions. For the Pentagon there is no doubt about the help of the secret service, the Pasdaran and the Iranian Navy. As of 2021, the Behshad lies in international waters in the Red Sea, still near Yemen. It is a fake merchant ship, a “spy ship” from Tehran, likely supporting the Houthis. Note: A presence that began several years ago with another ship (the Saviz) and is not linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The second point concerns the extensive use of drones, which was only possible with the technical help of the mullahs.