Low-cost, precise & grave threat, US CENTCOM chief says on Yemeni UAVs

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: US Senate Committee on Armed Services
8 Mar 2024 00:03
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In a US Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing, General Michael E. Kurilla says Iran does not possess a nuclear weapon nor has it made the decision to go for one.

Lt. Gen. Michael E. Kurilla testifies during a Senate Committee hearing on Senate Armed Services, on Thursday, March 16, 2023, at Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP)

US Army General Michael E. Kurilla, the commander of CENTCOM, stated that today, the Middle East "faces the most volatile security situation in the past half a century."

During a US Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing, Kurilla was asked about nuclear weapons in Iran, to which he responded by explaining that Iran "does not have a nuclear weapon right now, and I don't believe they've made the decision to go for a nuclear weapon."

Furthermore, the US General pointed out that Iran's production of highly enriched uranium increased by 39% over the past year.

According to Kurilla, the UAVs used by the Resistance factions across the region, particularly by the Yemeni Armed Forces, could reach around 2000km in distance and are cost-effective and high-precision as opposed to the highly expensive US weaponry used to intercept such weapons.

During the session, when General Kurilla was asked whether Iran sought war with the US, which was also avoiding a faceoff with the Islamic Republic, he answered, "No".

Resistance operations hit inside US bases: CENTCOM Commander

In a related context, the US CENTCOM chief, answering a question, confirmed that US forces in Iraq and Syria were hit over 150 times since October 2023 and that the US had only responded to that 8 times, hitting multiple targets each time.

This represented an "unbalanced" ratio that caused the Senators to wonder about US deterrence in the region.

It was clear, to the Senators, that US deterrence had failed given that the attacks on US military bases in the region continued till January 28, 2024, when 3 US military personnel were killed and over 30 were injured due to a drone attack by the Iraqi Resistance.

In that context, Kurilla was asked whether the Resistance operations targeting US forces in Syria and Iraq were successful in inflicting harm on US personnel before the Tower 22 operation in Jordan.

To that, the CENTCOM commander answered that these operations could have indeed caused casualties.

.@CENTCOM CDR Kurilla confirms that "at least several" #Iran proxy attacks came very close to killing U.S. personnel in #Iraq & #Syria before the Tower 22 attack on Jan 28 -- with projectiles hitting netting immediately proximate to the intended target. pic.twitter.com/v1m7Lygwjf
— Charles Lister (@Charles_Lister) March 7, 2024

Yemeni weapons

As part of the session, a Senator asked Kurilla why the US has not yet struck Yemeni "indigenous manufacturing" in order to "limit Iranian resupply," given the repeated US claims that Iran supplies Yemen with the parts, while Yemen conducts the assembly operations for the final product.

Kurilla then told the Senator that he would be able to answer that in a closed session. Insisting on an answer, the Senator then asked Kurilla the same question again, mockingly saying, "Those are fixed sites, aren't they," insinuating that there is no reason why the US should fail to strike them.

However, the CENTCOM Commander responded, saying, "They are, if you know where they are."

Yemeni Armed Forces attack two US warships in Red Sea

The Yemeni Armed Forces on Tuesday carried out a meticulous military operation in which they attacked two US warships in the Red Sea, a spokesperson announced.

Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced that the Yemeni Armed Forces attacked the two US warships in support of the people of Gaza and in retaliation for Washington's aggression on Yemen, which it is carrying out jointly with the United Kingdom.

"The Yemeni Armed Forces, with God's help, carried out a monumental military operation in which they targeted two US warships in the Red Sea," Saree said.

The Yemeni spokesperson revealed that the attack was carried out using ballistic missiles and drones as the military underlined that they would not relent.

"The Yemeni Armed Forces will not hesitate to expand the circle of fire in response to the calls of the free people of Yemen and the Islamic Ummah as well as in support of the Palestinian people that are still being subjected to aggression and blockade," he added.