On Monday, Houthi rebels fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles from their bases in Yemen into the Red Sea toward merchant vessel Pinocchio, a Singaporean-owned, Liberian-flagged ship. The US navy responded harshly.
“United States Central Command conducted six self-defense strikes destroying an unmanned underwater vessel and 18 anti-ship missiles in Houthi controlled areas of Yemen”, CENTCOM announced.
“It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region,” officials said. “These actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels.”
Despite the US navy’s response, the Houthi attacks continued and two drones were shot down by an Italian warship in the Red Sea in what was described as an act of self-defense
On Saturday, Centcom said US and coalition warships had “downed a total of at least 28” drones in what appeared to be a large attempted attack by the Houthis.
On Wednesday, a Houthi attack off the port of Aden killed three crew of the Barbados-flagged, Greek-operated True Confidence. On February 18, a Houthi missile sank the cargo ship Rubymar.
Since the US began its campaign of airstrikes in January, the U.S. military says it has shot down and destroyed more 100 Houthi missiles, according to an Associated Press analysis of its statements.
Claiming to stand with Hamas in its war against Israel, the Houthis have launched attacks against civilian vessels in the Red Sea that have disrupted global shipping, forcing firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa. This has stoked fears that the Israel-Hamas war could spread to destabilize the wider Middle East.
During its first weeks in office the Biden administration chose to unconditionally revoke Trump’s decision to classify the Houthis as a terrorist organization but reclassifieed the organization as terrorists in January.
As the Middle East heats up, the US is encountering Yemenite Houthis and other Iranian proxies in hostile encounters. The US miliary is even coming close to putting boots on the ground in Gaza as it airdrops humanitarian aid. A US naval vessel is en route, carrying equipment to build a temporary pier off the coast of Gaza. Hamas has been accused by Israel of violently hijacking trucks carrying humanitarian aid into Gaza, raising the possibility they will be in conflict with US troops distributing food, fuel, and medical equipment to Gaza’s civilians.
Analysts have also noted that Iran is intensifying efforts to expel US forces from northeastern Syria and Iraq by leveraging Hezbollah and various militias. Over 170 missile and drone attacks from October 17 to the end of January targeted coalition bases across northeastern Syria.
After one such attack killed three US servicemen and wounded 25 more, a bipartisan group of Senators called for President Biden to take direct military action against Iran.
The US is finally waking up to the very real threat posed by Iran. Last week, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, publicly released an unclassified version of its yearly report, “Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community,” and senior intelligence officials testified about it before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI). The report listed Iran as the third largest threat to US security, after Russia and China, citing decades-long support for proxy groups as a major threat that allows Tehran to assume an aggressive posture “while shielding Iranian leaders from significant consequences.”
This brings to mind a verse in the Book of Jeremiah makes a prophecy that in the end-of-times, the Edom will fight a war against Yemen which it will lose.
“Hear, then, the plan which Hashem has devised against Edom, and what He has purposed against the inhabitants of Teman [Yemen] : Surely the shepherd boys Shall drag them away; Surely the pasture shall be Aghast because of them.” Jeremiah 49:20
The Talmud (Yoma 10a) interprets this verse, explaining that in the future, Rome, descended from Edom/Esau, is destined to fall into the hands of Yemen, as it is stated in this verse by the Prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah describes that this violent encounter will have global repercussions:
At the sound of their downfall The earth shall shake; The sound of screaming Shall be heard at the Sea of Reeds. Jermiah 49:21
The Talmud then explains that Jeremiah’s prophecy verse was not referring to Teman/Yemen but that the term “the youngest of the flock” was actually referring to Persia, as per a verse in the Book of Daniel:
“The two-horned ram that you saw [signifies] the kings of Media and Persia; (Daniel 8:20)
The Talmud also identifies ”the shepherd boys” as Persia, the descendants of Japheth, the youngest son of Noah. .
The Talmud then draws an a fortiori inference from the two Temples in Jerusalem which implies that Rome will fall to Persia.
“Just as the First Temple, that the descendants of Shem built it and the Chaldeans destroyed it, and in turn the Chaldeans, ruled by Belshazzar, fell to Persians, ruled by Darius the Mede and his son-in-law Cyrus the Persian; the Second Temple, that the Persians built it and the Romans destroyed it, is it not right that the Romans will fall into the hands of the Persians?” the Talmud concludes.
Rabbi Mendel Kessin, a prominent lecturer, connects Esav throughout history to Edom, Rome, Christianity, Western civilization and, ultimately, to the United States. According to Rabbi Kessin, America represents the good of Esav. At the End of Days, Rabbi Kessin contends that the sins of Esav will be removed and Esav will become God-fearing. Rabbi Kessin explains that, although Esav has traditionally been associated with oppressing, persecuting and afflicting the Jews, at the End of Days, he will undergo a fundamental change in his character.
Rather than harming Jews, Esav will turn toward serving the Jews, assisting them in doing God’s will in the form of mitzvot (Biblical commandments). As a result, Esav will be rehabilitated and will earn a place in the World to Come. Further, since Rabbi Kessin believes that spiritual tasks of Esav are being completed by the United States today, he sees the destiny of the United States at the End of Days as a positive one.
This connection between the modern United States and ancient Rome was even noted by the popular political pundit, Tucker Carlson in a video clip.
In the video, Carlson suggested that like Rome, which he claimed fell because its military “became dominated by non-citizens”, the open southern border and shortfalls of military recruitment could combine to pose an existential crisis for the US. A recent House proposal, ironically titled the Courage to Serve Act, would allow the military to recruit qualified migrants who crossed the border illegally. Perhaps we are not being told why so many illegals are being sent, and why so many of them are single men in their 20’s and 30’s?
