Another $4.86 billion has been spent on US-led fight to deter Houthi attacks in Red Sea, according to new report
The Biden administration has provided Israel with at least $17.9 billion in military aid since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack last year and spent at least another $4.86 billion on its fight against Yemen’s Houthis, according to a new report released on Monday.
However, the latest report was completed before the Pentagon announced additional troop and asset deployments to the Middle East last week, as well as the start of another Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Those are expected to cost the US hundreds of millions, if not billions.
The report also did not include US efforts last week that helped Israel foil the largest-ever Iranian attack that included nearly 200 missiles. Rough estimates suggest the attack cost north of $100 million, which saw the US use around $100 million.
The report was published by Brown University.
Some of the weapons delivered over the last year included artillery shells, 2,000-pound bunker-busting bombs, and precision-guided bombs. Replenishments for Israel’s Iron Dome and David’s Sling used for missile defense made up another big chunk of the US aid.
“The patchwork government reporting on US military aid to Israel contrasts sharply with the treatment of military aid to Ukraine, where dollar amounts, channels of delivery, and specific systems supplied (including how many) are routinely reported in government-supplied fact sheets on a regular basis,” the study said.
The US military announced that it was sending more troops last week to the Middle East as fighting between Lebanon’s Hezbollah and Israel escalated. “In light of increased tensions in the Middle East and out of an abundance of caution, we are sending a small number of additional US military personnel forward to augment forces already in the region,” Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder told Al Arabiya English. Ryder did not provide more details due to operations security reasons. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said that three additional aircraft squadrons – F-15E, F-16, and A-10 – were arriving in the Middle East, with one squadron having already arrived last Tuesday.
The US had already increased its troop level in recent months, boosting the total number to 40,000. It is unclear how many more are being deployed.
As for the US-led campaign to deter the Houthis in Yemen, the study cited the US Navy as estimating around $1 billion worth of munitions were used as of June. The study calculated that the Pentagon could need another $2 billion in emergency funding over the next few months to continue the fight against the Houthis.
The US has also deployed multiple aircraft carrier strike groups to the Red Sea. According to the report, a fully loaded and operating carrier strike group costs close to $9 million per day. “Thus in total, US activities in the region have already cost at least approximately $4.86 billion and are likely to rise steeply unless the wider conflict with the Houthis and other regional actors is resolved,” the study said.
