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It is unclear how long the two ships will remain in the Med.Whilst Western militaries have been humiliated, yet again, and some analysts have commented that missions such as these do necessitate a rest period, could it also be that they're preparing for an escalation of another kind?
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The release did not include the locations of USS Mason (DDG-87) and USS Philippine Sea (CG-58), the other destroyer and cruiser that make up the Ike CSG. Like Gravely, Mason has shot down a number of Houthi missiles and drones as part of the U.S. response in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The last time Ike made a port call it was four months ago in Bahrain ahead of its shift to the Red Sea in late December.
Ike is expected to be replaced by the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group, which was in the Western Atlantic conducting an exercise, as of Monday, according to USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker.
The Houthis appeared to slow their Red Sea attacks with a gap between April 16 and April 24. The Yemen-based group has fired anti-ballistic missiles and drones over the Gulf of Aden on April 24 and 25, according to Central Command releases.
It is not clear what led to the pause. Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder referred reporters to the Houthis.
Around April 15th Israel was warning of it's retaliation against Iran, and there was also the proposed Rafah genocide.
"Well, again, in terms of the Houthi mindset, in terms of why they opted to not conduct attacks for a couple of weeks, that's really something best left for them to address," Ryder said during a Thursday press conference. "I would say that regardless, our focus hasn't shifted, which is working with our international partners to ensure the freedom of navigation through the Red Sea."
Houthi leader Abdul-Malik Badruldeen al-Houthi took to Telegram Thursday to highlight the movement of American ships out of the Red Sea.
"The American naval presence has shrunk, and many of its warships have disappeared and have spread to the outskirts of the Red Sea," according to a translation of the Telegram post.
"Nothing is real," observed John Lennon, and that's especially true of politics."It is the function of mass agitation to exploit all the grievances, hopes, aspirations, prejudices, fears, and ideals of all the special groups that make up our society, social, religious, economic, racial, political. Stir them up. Set one against the other. Divide and conquer. That's the way to soften up a democracy."โ J. Edgar Hoover, Masters of Deceit
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