What one sees in the Middle East today is the last vestiges of the American empire fading away, being replaced by a more localized order.
The defeat of the United States in the Middle East is, sadly, complete. On the heels of the new deal that President Donald Trump has struck during his Mideast tour extravaganza, the Houthis have decided to humiliate the Americans with a parting shot.
While President Trump was visiting with the Saudi Royal Family to great fanfare, the Houthis launched a long-range missile from their mountain redoubt in the dusty foothills of nearby Yemen. The missile, recorded by onlookers in Saudi Arabia, and posted to social media, was seen streaking over the country on its way to distant Israel.
Concomitantly, the entire state of Israel went on alert, as everyone there waited with bated breath to see where the Houthi missile was headed.
How the Houthis Beat the U.S. Navy
Recently, the Trump administration admitted that the Houthi rebels—formally known as “Ansar Allah,” or “Supporters of God”—effectively defeated the United States Navy in what had been a multi-year struggle for control over the key strategic waterways of the Red Sea and the Bab El-Mandeb.
In the last year, U.S. aircraft carriers operating within the range of Houthi missiles have nearly been damaged by those Houthi missiles. At some point, the Houthis nearly struck an American carrier, aided with Iranian missiles and Russian and (possibly) Chinese targeting data. In the last month alone, the USS Harry S. Truman had two near misses, forcing it to radically maneuver out of the way of incoming Houthi missiles—and causing the loss of not one, but two F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. News then came out that an advanced F-35 Lightning II had to rapidly evade incoming Houthi missiles around the same time, narrowly avoiding becoming the first F-35 ever shot down.
The Trump administration had thrown everything but the kitchen sink at the Houthis, and the Houthis survived. Recognizing that he had bigger matters to attend to, and it served no greater purpose for the U.S. to be seen as having fought a war with the Houthis only to lose it, Trump threw in the towel. Of course, the Houthis are celebrating the ceasefire as a form of a victory over the Americans, stuffing it down the Americans’ face—even as the president visits Saudi Arabia by firing missiles over his head.
Israel Is the Houthis’ Next Target
Trump’s decision, of course, has left the Israelis in the hot seat. Clearly, Washington is seeking to recalibrate its proximity with Israel during this period of transition away from the Greater Middle East.
Yet the current Israeli government has failed to understand that the situation it now faces is fundamentally changed. It can no longer rely upon an unequivocal military shield provided for by the United States. For whatever reason, the current Israeli government continues to act as if nothing has changed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pushed ahead with his plan for a massive invasion and occupation of the Gaza Strip. At the same time, the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has pushed deep inside neighboring Syria; Israeli Air Force (IAF) planes have threatened to engage the distant Houthis in retaliation for the ongoing missile attacks; and Jerusalem has continued to focus on Tehran as its primary enemy.
This is an utterly unsustainable position. What’s more, it is an avoidable one. The Houthis have declared that they will stop their missile fusillades at Israel if the Netanyahu government abandons its plans to invade and occupy the Gaza Strip. The optics on surrendering to a terrorist group’s demands are horrendous, of course. But Israel has no choice. It should abandon these aggressive plans against Gaza, retrench, and rebuild its defenses and society before it is too late.
The American Empire in the Mideast is Fading Fast
That’s because, despite the round of arms and trade deals executed by the Trump administration in Riyadh, the American military position in the region is fast fading. A new paradigm is being born. The fact that the Houthis felt they could launch missiles right over the heads of the Americans in Saudi Arabia as part of a larger offensive against Israel is further proof of how far gone the Americans are.
What one sees in the Middle East today is the last vestiges of the American empire fading away, being replaced by a more localized order. Israel must pivot and begin acting accordingly.
About the Author: Brandon J. Weichert
Brandon J. Weichert, a Senior National Security Editor at The National Interest as well as a contributor at Popular Mechanics, who consults regularly with various government institutions and private organizations on geopolitical issues. Weichert’s writings have appeared in multiple publications, including the Washington Times, National Review, The American Spectator, MSN, the Asia Times, and countless others. His books include Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His newest book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine is available for purchase wherever books are sold. He can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.
Image: Shutterstock / Mohammed al-wafi.
