from president biden last night there was no mention of iran. the word was not used and i think that s because in the heat of this moment, he didn t want to be seen to be directly pointing a finger at the iranians. he left that to lower level officials who in a series of briefings overnight and into the morning were talking with how they believed the iranians were involved in their words at every phase of the houthi attacks on shipping over the last few months. what you are seeing amid all of this is the americans, along with the british who were also involved in these military strikes, trying to walk this line to deter the houthis but not to escalate and wider regional situation and the risk of escalation is that it draws in the iranians and that s really why you re seeing the us in particular tried to disconnect what
leon emirali, a former ministerial aide and pr consultant. and mo elliethee, executive director at the georgetown institute of politics and public service. welcome to a context. we saw a us presidentjoe biden their delivered remarks saying we will make sure to respond to the houthis as they continue what he describes as this outrageous behaviour. do continue what he describes as this outrageous behaviour. continue what he describes as this outrageous behaviour. do you think this tit for tat outrageous behaviour. do you think this tit for tat is outrageous behaviour. do you think this tit for tat is going outrageous behaviour. do you think this tit for tat is going to this tit for tat is going to continue and end up with a much wider escalation? i continue and end up with a much wider escalation? continue and end up with a much wider escalation? i think that s one concern that wider escalation? i think that s one concern that many wider escalation? i think that s one conce
for a number of weeks now so why did the us and uk act now? the us and uk act now? timing is alwa s the us and uk act now? timing is always significant, the us and uk act now? timing is always significant, as the us and uk act now? timing is always significant, as is the us and uk act now? timing is always significant, as is context i always significant, as is context behind these kind of surgical attacks. i think there has been a lead up of events over the past few days, weeks and indeed months and even stretching back beyond that. the houthis have constituted or threatened to disrupt maritime security in the red sea for a number of years and this is not necessarily a new development, with the scope and severity of the escalation is certainly new and connected to the israel hamas war in gaza. this would not have been a decision taken easily by the us and the uk and i believe washington felt that it was stuck between a rock and a hard place, choosing to re establish deterrence
in the imminent is what he said. i think they are a terrorist group. and let s hear what us department of defense spokesperson, patrick ryder, had to say about what the strikes had achieved. i don t know that i would necessarily describe that as retaliatory or whether what we are seeing is an effort on the part of the houthis say we are still standing but again, i think right now probably the houthis are evaluating what capabilities they have and they have a hard decision in front of them. whether or not they want to continue to feel the condemnation and the results and the response from the international community. at the end of the day, our focus is on ensuring that the red sea, this vital international waterway is a safe and secure for international shipping and the lives of mariners and us will continue to stay focused on. stay focused on. patrick ryder s-ueakin stay focused on. patrick ryder speaking there. stay focused on. patrick ryder speaking there. and stay focused on. p
about the situation in gaza based on what the about the situation in gaza based on what the icj says or does. but i do agree what the icj says or does. but i do agree that what the icj says or does. but i do agree that from a public relations and political perspective, there is already and political perspective, there is already tremendous pressure on leadership in the united states and the uk leadership in the united states and the uk to leadership in the united states and the uk to be more sympathetic to the plight the uk to be more sympathetic to the plight of the uk to be more sympathetic to the plight of the palestinians and they are walking a fine line showing, rightfully are walking a fine line showing, rightfully so, support for israel while rightfully so, support for israel while being may be less enthusiastic about while being may be less enthusiastic about the while being may be less enthusiastic about the way israel is litigating this conflict. if a term