During a recent appearance on CBS News’ “Face The Nation,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly discussed the differences between President Trump’s military strikes on the Houthi rebel group and those carried out during President Biden’s administration.
Rubio emphasized that Trump’s strikes aimed to establish deterrence, while Biden’s actions were primarily retaliatory.
Rubio highlighted the frequency of Houthi attacks against U.S. naval vessels, noting that there had been 174 direct assaults on the U.S. Navy and 145 attacks on commercial shipping over the past 18 months.
He characterized the Houthis as a “band of pirates” armed with advanced weaponry, asserting that their control over crucial shipping lanes is unsustainable and unacceptable.
“So we basically have a band of pirates with guided precision anti-ship weaponry and exacting a toll system in one of the most important shipping lanes in the world. That’s just not sustainable. We are not going to have these people controlling which ships can go through and which ones cannot.” Rubio said.
In contrast to Biden’s response, which Rubio described as reactive—targeting missile launchers after attacks—Trump’s approach was more strategic.
“Those strikes were retaliation strikes. So they launch one missile, we hit the missile launcher, or we sent something to do it. This is not a message. This is not a one-off.” he added.
He stated that the goal of Trump’s military actions was to deny the Houthis the capability to restrict maritime navigation.
Rubio underscored the effectiveness of these strikes, mentioning that key figures involved in missile attacks had been eliminated, along with the destruction of their operational facilities.
Rubio affirmed that U.S. airstrikes against the Iranian-backed Houthis would persist until their ability to control global shipping is neutralized.
He argued that by dismantling the Houthi threat, the U.S. is not only protecting its interests but also benefiting the international community at large.
In summary, Rubio framed Trump’s military strategy as proactive and aimed at long-term deterrence, contrasting it with Biden’s more limited, reactive military responses to Houthi aggression.
The ongoing U.S. military efforts are intended to stabilize critical shipping routes and counteract Iranian influence in the region.
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A single small nuke vaporizing the Houthis would be more effective, cost less, and ensure no recidivism. Check Eisenhower’s policy of “Massive Retaliation.” Makes MUCH more sense that stupid, endless conventional strikes – or “wars”…