"Escalating Tensions: US Navy's Ongoing Clashes with Houthis in the Red Sea"

The Navy's current clashes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden with the Iran-backed Houthis have historical parallels to the 1980s "Tanker War," where the Navy defended commercial vessels in the Middle East. The U.S. is using military might to ensure the free flow of commerce through the Red Sea, with the Houthis targeting both merchant and military ships. The conflict also suggests a new level of defensive action for the surface fleet, with the U.S. and its partners intercepting Iranian smuggling vessels supplying the Houthis. Analysts anticipate a shift in Houthi tactics and suggest increasing field testing of high-energy lasers as a cheaper tool to counter Houthi drones.