lol CENTCOM doesn’t issue press releases about their failures. Only the ship crews getting blasted know how many reached them. Maybe none this time…maybe 50…its anyone’s guess who wasn’t on the ship.
Who won in this situation? The Houthis did. They reminded all ships that unless they have US Naval protection, they are at risk. That knowledge factors into their decisions to send future ships…and it also factors into the increase of insurance costs if they chose to enter the Red Sea. Even if the US hadn’t been there and the Houthis had just missed the ship, there would still be risk, and risk equates to increased shipping costs which drives up the costs of products headed to “Israel” and the prices “Israelis” pay in stores. Did prices go up in Yemeni stores? No.
The US can’t sustain a policy of providing personal escorts for every ship. They don’t have unlimited fuel budgets and all the resources they expend babysitting shipping vessels, are that much less they have later to deal with Iran if things escalate. The US Navy does not want to enter into that war (If it happens) with partially depleted fuel and weapons.
How absolutely interesting that “Israel’s” Navy is hiding in Haifa and no one is mentioning it.