U.S. and U.K. Defense Ministers Discuss 'Escalation of Attacks by Iran-aligned Militant Groups'

On Wednesday, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin met with his British counterpart Grant Shapps at the Pentagon to discuss security threats in the Middle East. According to AFP, Pentagon spokesperson General Pat Ryder stated that the defense ministers of the two countries talked about topics including 'the escalation of attacks by Iran-aligned militant groups against U.S. forces in the Middle East' and 'illegal Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea,' as well as humanitarian aid to Gaza and support for Ukraine. Ryder noted that Austin thanked Shapps for Britain's strong support and leadership in coalition efforts to prevent further Houthi aggression while defending commercial vessels exercising navigation rights and freedoms. Since the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas in mid-October, Iranian-aligned Houthi rebels have targeted commercial ships in the Red Sea under the pretext of supporting Palestinians, affecting trade costs and routes between Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. Last week, U.S. and British forces conducted retaliatory strikes against Houthi missile launch sites. Previously, a senior U.S. Navy commander in the Middle East stated that the Iranian government is directly involved in Houthi attacks on ships. Brad Cooper, commander of the U.S. Fifth Fleet, had earlier told the Associated Press that attacks linked to the Islamic Republic have gone beyond previous threats in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, extending to waters across the Middle East. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken also announced on January 17 that the 'Ansar Allah' movement, also known as the Houthis, will be designated as an international terrorist organization by the U.S. government within 30 days. The U.S. stated that the time for suspending the activities of Kata'ib Hezbollah has passed; they will be held accountable. Three members of the U.S. House of Representatives called for serious and deterrent action against the Islamic Republic. The U.S. has sanctioned several companies in Turkey and Lebanon due to their connections with Hezbollah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The U.S. also blamed the 'Islamic Resistance of Iraq' for a drone attack on its soldiers in Jordan, indicating that retaliation is forthcoming.