Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery, senior director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracy, criticized the Biden administration for what he perceives as a lack of effective deterrence against Iran, which supports the Houthis. “The U.S. clearly needs to conduct more aggressive actions on Iran for supplying and supporting the Houthis,” Montgomery told Fox News Digital. “Until the U.S. imposes costs on Iran, these Houthi attacks will continue.”
Montgomery expressed concerns that the administration is overly cautious about provoking Iran rather than focusing on shaping its behavior. “If you allow a bully to go unchecked for too long, it becomes an escalatory challenge to eventually face the bully down,” he warned.
CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Kurilla echoed similar concerns in a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, criticizing current policies as “failing” to curb Houthi attacks. Kurilla advocated for a “whole of government” approach, including economic, diplomatic, and military measures to counter the Houthi threat.
