Indeed they have.

https://www.reuters.com/world/middle...wn-2024-01-31/

Update on the two SEALS lost while interdicting the dhow that was running weapons from Iran to Houthis ...

According to a U.S. Defense Official, USS Gravely was forced to use her Phalanx CIWS last night against a Houti ASM.

The ASM is reported to have come within 1nm of the ship following a miss by an SM-2. .

Several Explosions have reportedly Rocked the Coastal City of Hodeidah in Western Yemen within the last few minutes, with reports of Renewed U.S. Strikes against Houthi Positions near the City.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....f95071f773.png

That's why CIWS is there, but it's disappointing to see that the SM-2 was not successful.

Layered ship defence is very good but it is not 100% effective against modern anti ship missiles like the ones Iran has given the Houthi’s.

When you look at the potential ramifications of the death of 3 soldiers, what would the ramifications of the loss of a USN fleet unit and deaths in the hundreds ? The missiles that could do that are unambiguously supplied by Iran, so there is no way Iran could play the “it was the Houthi’s, not us card” anymore.

This is how a major regional conflict starts, and potentially WW III…

Actually, that is why you use a layered defense. Your "chicken little" act is wearing thin, though.
You are engaging in hyperbole, yet again.

Burke class DD's are far more robust than Perry Class FF's.
USS Stark got hit by Exocet, and how many died? Not hundreds.
USS Samuel B Roberts hit a mine, and how many died? Not hundreds.
The above were Perry class FF's. As for Burke class DD's:
USS Cole got hit by a boat driven suicide bomb, and how many died? Not hundreds.

Beyond that, President Biden and his team appear to be trying to manage the level of effort on this.
In related news, looks like some of the SEAD efforts paid off.
From that they appear to have hit a SAM site, but it's a bit vague without more info from CENTCOM.

You may call it chicken little, I would suggest that historically low probability, but high consequence events have resulted in things spiralling out of control in unanticipated ways.

The USN has been given mission impossible, stop Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping.
USN ships are facing sophisticated Iranian supplied anti ship missiles but in all probability will be able to always defeat them without sustaining damage, but what if they don’t? Then what ?

True enough, humans can be fickle and are capable of non linear responses to stimuli.
Well, why not look at what happened when Stark got hit.
We didn't bomb Iraq.
Look at what happened when Roberts hit a mine. We didn't start a war.
Look at what happened when Cole got attacked. We didn't start a war.

Let's say a savvy operational planner puts together a launch package and penetrates the missile defenses and scores a few hits on a DDG.
First off, ship will not necessarily sink. Damage control is a thing. Ship limps off to (some port) and the long term repair effort gets underway. (As with Cole).
Yes, some sailors will die. That sucks.
But see above example. Escalating a few orders of magnitude is not the only response.
There are levels of response. While I don't doubt that some pay back would occur, the level of payback is not predetermined and it need not escalate very far. (And go back to my point to you before about the "seen to be doing something" bit, which also does not require starting a war).
Take a look at the recent news item from the militias in Iraq: apparently, Iran has taken an assessment of American responses and they have throttled back. (A bit)

There are Rational actors on both ends of this.

I sure hope you are right, but I don’t share your optimism.

​​​Are you sure in your information that those are there orders?

CENTCOM Statement on U.S. Stikes in Iraq and Syria

At 4:00 p.m. (EST) Feb. 02, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted airstrikes in Iraq and Syria against Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Quds Force and affiliated militia groups.

U.S. military forces struck more than 85 targets, with numerous aircraft to include long-range bombers flown from United States. The airstrikes employed more than 125 precision munitions.

The facilities that were struck included command and control operations, centers, intelligence centers, rockets, and missiles, and unmanned aired vehicle storages, and logistics and munition supply chain facilities of militia groups and their IRGC sponsors who facilitated attacks against U.S. and Coalition forces.

The news is covered and filled with this tonight.
The two sound bytes that caught my eye were the common repetitions of these two phrases.
I think Iran and their proxies forgot who they were screwing with.
Or, they kind of expected this. We'll see.
Some talking head from Iran was on the news but the voice over obscured what he was saying. I'll check back in a bit to see what the official line out of Tehran was.
Two days ago, they had this to say:
From what I saw on TV, none of the strikes were in Iran proper. But the messaging was clear that IRGC assets/personnel were targets.

I would not mind being in the BDA cell, figuring out how the 125 strikes on 85 targets went. (Then again, I am a bit long in the tooth).
The ops planning cell at CENTAF and CENTCOM were probably living on coffee for the last five days.

For Big Pistons Forever: what do you think the Iranian response to this will be? Do you think they will ratchet it up, or go back to the war of words?More notes on the rhetoric.


Officials at CENTCOM have stated that several A-10C Close-Air Support aircraft, from the 354th FS on deployment at Al-Dhafra AB UAE, took part in tonight’s airstrikes.

https://www.wsj.com/politics/nationa...-iraq-bcd627b5

….Jordanian aircraft are also slated to join in the operation and have been assigned targets. Jordan’s role is unusual and is intended to demonstrate solidarity with the U.S. following the drone strike on Tower 22, an outpost in Jordan near the Syrian border.

Jordan participated in airstrikes in the early phase of the campaign against Islamic State, which began in 2014, and lost a pilot, who was captured and executed by ISIS. But Jordanian aircraft haven’t previously bombed Iran-backed militias in an operation coordinated with the U.S., said Charles Lister of the Middle East Institute, a Washington think tank…..

I am trying to track down a report of an Israeli strike in Syria that killed an IRGC leader, but not getting much detail. The above cropped up, though.

For ORAC: makes sense that Jordan would get in on this. It was there territory that got attacked with the Tower 22 raid.

Reminder: European taxpayers have to pay for the safe passage of vessels in the Red Sea on account of the Iranian-backed Houthis, but Iranian vessels such as this OFAC-blacklisted SHIBA can dock in Europe without any inconveniences.

SHIBA is currently in Constanta, Romania.

PS: This photo was taken this morning.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....6c75674a29.png

Surely Iran will now have to pay this year's 15% increase of fees through the already expensive Suez Canal.

Would not any levy imposed on Iranian shipping just be passed on to the customer?