US Officials Claim Biden Admin Downplaying Red Sea Attacks to Cool Regional Tensions

Attacks on US forces in the Middle East have been increasing amid the US' unwavering support of Israel, whose conflict in the Gaza Strip has been described as a "genocide" by multiple human rights organizations.

Some US officials reportedly believe the Biden administration may be downplaying the attacks on US shipping vessels in the Red Sea in an attempt to avoid expanding tensions across the Middle East amid the ongoing Palestine-Israel conflict.

According to the Pentagon, the USS Carney scrambled to respond to several US commercial ships' distress signals which had been fired upon by Houthi forces in Yemen. The attack reportedly included three unmanned aerial drones and an unspecified number of missiles. An hours-long firefight ensued, during which the three drones were shot down.

The United States and other Western countries claim Houthi forces in Yemen are funded and controlled by Iran, a claim Iran denies.

Officials, including national security adviser Jake Sullivan, have stated that the US “cannot assess” if the Carney was a target in the attack. Likewise, American officials were similarly non-committal regarding other Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the area over the past few months.

In addition to commercial shipping vessels, US forces have been attacked in Iraq and Syria several times since October 7.

However, four unnamed officials told US media that they believe US naval forces are under threat in the Persian Gulf and Red Sea. “You’d be hard-pressed to find another time” US forces have been challenged in this way in the region, one official reportedly said.

Another said he agreed with the assessment that it is unknown if the Carney was targeted, but added that the Biden administration is stressing the narrative in order to “avoid unnecessary escalation” in the area. However, it was emphasized that the Biden administration left some wiggle room, allowing officials to update their assessment at a later time.

Admiral Christopher Grady said the attacks already represent an expansion of the conflict. “This is very much an expansion of perhaps the larger conflict between Israel and Hamas,” he said, contradicting Pentagon spokespersons who have repeatedly described the Houthi attacks on shipping vessels as “separate and distinct” from the Palestine-Israel conflict.

Officials further indicated a greater response by the US is still possible. “If we make the assessment or feel the need to respond, we will always make that decision at a time or place of our choosing. That is a decision that the [US defense secretary] will also make in conjunction with the president,” a Defense Department official told US media.

Responding to claims by the UK government that the Iranian government was behind the Houthi rebel attacks, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani dismissed the claims.

“As we have clearly announced earlier, the resistance factions in the region do not receive orders from the Islamic Republic of Iran to counter and respond to the child-killer Zionist regime’s war crimes and genocide,” he said, later adding that the US is “an accomplice to war crimes, massacre and genocide committed by the usurper Zionist regime against Palestinians.”

Foreign policy experts have repeatedly warned that US support of Israel puts American citizens and US interests at risk. In October, weeks after Hamas’ surprise attack, the State Department issued a rare “worldwide caution” alert, warning that American tourists were at greater risk of violence and advised them to be cautious in tourist areas.

The US support of Israel has been affecting US relationships and foreign policy for decades as well. Stephan M. Walt, a professor of international relations at Harvard, wrote in 2021 that it was time to end the “special relationship” between the US and Israel, noting it was used as justification for the September 11 attacks. He further argued the "benefits" of the US support "are zero, and the costs are high and rising.”