A U.S. warship returning missile fire on Iranian-backed rebels in Yemen threatens to mire the United States in a “proxy war” for which the United States lacks a clear strategy, U.S. Sen. Edward J. Markey warns.
The Massachusetts senator said the lack of an organized push for negotiated peace has him “very concerned” the conflict could spiral out of control — all with the U.S. pinned between backing its Saudi allies and opposing the Iran-supported Houthi rebels.
“With each step, we are getting deeper and deeper into this conflict in Yemen and I think we need a better understanding of what our strategy is,” Markey told the Herald yesterday. “Otherwise we are going to end up neck-deep in a mess without any idea of how to get out of it.”
Markey’s comments came a day after the U.S. struck three radar installations in Yemen in response to two attempted attacks on a U.S. Navy destroyer. The move prompted Iran to move two warships into the Gulf of Aden — which separates Yemen from the horn of Africa.
“I am very concerned about it escalating,” Markey said, adding, “Right now, we are putting ourselves in the middle of the proxy war between the Iranians and the Saudi Arabians … we have to exercise our strongest possible diplomatic strength as well. Otherwise, there will be an out-of-control escalation in that country.”
