The national security adviser said Iran was “ultimately responsible.”
December 4, 2023, 4:13 p.m. ET
• 6 min reading
White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday the U.S. was consulting with allies on “appropriate actions” in response to recent Houthi drone and missile attacks in the Red Sea.
“We have made it clear that the entire world must come together, not the United States alone, but all of us together, to meet this emerging challenge posed by the Houthis, supported by Iran. We will take appropriate action in consultation with others and we will do so at a time and place of our choosing.
Three merchant ships were attacked in the international waters of the Red Sea on Sunday, US military officials said, as Houthi militants claimed responsibility for the latest raid in the Middle East, where tensions have been high since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
The USS Carney, a Navy destroyer patrolling the area, intercepted and shot down three drones on Sunday while providing assistance to the ships, CENTCOM said.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan speaks during a news conference at the White House on Dec. 4, 2023, in Washington. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
“The Carney took action when a drone flew in its direction, but again, we cannot say that the Carney was the intended target at that time,” Sabrina Singh, the Pentagon’s deputy press secretary, said Monday, but added that this was the case. The Pentagon did not rule out the possibility.
At the White House, ABC chief correspondent Mary Bruce Sullivan urged that U.S. retaliatory efforts have not been effective so far as the Houthis continue to fire missiles and drones at merchant ships in the Red Sea, forcing U.S. ships in the region to respond.
He defended the “actions” the government had taken but acknowledged that what he described as “very alarming behavior” continued.
“We have taken a number of steps, including the movement of aircraft carriers, air force squadrons and others, to prevent this war currently being waged between Israel and Hamas in Gaza from becoming a larger conflict, a broader regional conflict, expands,” he said. “That doesn’t mean we’re not seeing some very alarming behavior, and there are two forms of that in particular that we’re focused on: One is attacks by Iran-backed and allied Shiite militia groups in Iraq and Syria that are attacking ours. “Armed Forces. We are taking steps to protect and strike back against our people.”
The USS Carney sails in the Mediterranean Sea on November 12, 2018. Specialist 1st Class Ryan U. Kledzik/US Navy via AP
He continued to place clear blame for the Houthi attacks on Iran, saying that the country was supplying the Houthis with the weapons used.
“We are talking about the Houthis, they are the ones who have their finger on the trigger, but this weapon, the weapons here, are supplied by Iran and we believe that Iran is the ultimate party responsible for this.”
Yemenis trained by the Houthi movement hold their weapons and chant slogans as they take part in a parade at Al-Sabeen Square in Sana’a, Yemen, on December 2, 2023.Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images
Sullivan also said the merchant ships attacked had ties to 14 different countries and showed the extent of a “source of global concern and a threat to international peace and stability.” He added that the US does not believe all three ships have ties to Israel.
“It shows you the level of ruthlessness with which the Houthis operate. Any ship they shoot at, whether it is Israeli-owned or has had any connection to Israel in the past, makes it no more a legitimate target under international law than if the ship had no ties to Israel, but some of the ships we believe might not have connections.”
ABC News’ Matthew Seyler contributed to this report.