Pentagon Dispute in Trump’s First War Foreshadowed Iran

“As Houthi militants in Yemen attacked ships with missiles and drones in the Red Sea early last year, top U.S. officials gathered at the Pentagon to prepare military options for President Donald Trump. Their meetings repeatedly grew tense,” the Washington Post reports.

“On one side were Gen. Michael ‘Erik’ Kurilla, then overseeing U.S. operations in the Middle East, and other hawks ready for action. The general was keen on military action not only against the Houthis, but also against Iran, which had backed the Yemeni paramilitary group for years with weapons and training.”

“On the other side were officials hesitant to launch military strikes so early in the second Trump administration, including the Joint Chiefs chairman, Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. who suggested that new U.S. assessments of what military action might yield would be wise before presenting the president with military options.”