IRAN-BACKED Houthi rebels "declared war on the West" through their Red Sea attacks - and today they finally faced the music, warned a former US ambassador.
Mark Wallace told The Sun that the US Navy sinking three militias boats in the Red Sea marks a major turning point in the crisis - but "self defence" is not enough to deter the Iranian terror proxy.
Early this morning, the first reported deadly clash between the US and Iran's terror proxy in Yemen took place.
The US Navy were forced to scramble attack choppers after a Maersk container vessel sent out distress calls that the Houthis were firing at the ship.
The militia then focused their fire on the helicopters before the US fired back, destroying three ships and killing all crew onboard.
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The US Central Command called their actions "self defence" - but Wallace, the former US ambassador to the UN, told The Sun that the time for self defence is over.
"The Houthis are basking in the glory of international attention,"he said.
"They are empowered, highly armed by Iran and they've showed no signs of stopping their attacks."
Wallace, who is also CEO of United Against Nuclear Iran, continued: "The US needs to send a clear message to the Houthis and to Iran that their Red Sea attacks are unacceptable.
"It was a miscalculation to wait for them to attack. We need to change the rules of engagement - to make it clear if they get near US assets, we will destroy them."
Late on Saturday, a US warship was also forced to shoot down two ballistic missiles fired from Yemen.
It was the latest in over 100 assaults led by the Houthis on ships travelling through one of the world's largest shipping lanes in recent weeks.
The militia group, who control large swaths of Yemen, have vowed to attack all ships that they believe are linked to Israel or bound for Israeli ports in solidarity with Hamas.
"It is a systematic effort by Iran and its proxies to attack the US and its allies - and it needs to be seen as that," said Wallace.
He wants the world be plainly aware of the bigger picture. "Without Iran, there are no Houthis."
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Today's events, he claimed, effectively put on show how "the US is now in a shooting war with Iran".
And that, he said, "is an act of major consequences".
Retired US General Ben Hodges agreed that the US taking direct action against the Houthi threat was "long overdue".
He told The Sun: "We should have never gotten to this point."
"The US needs to squash them like a fly," added Hodges, who was formerly the commander of the US Army in Europe.
"The Houthis are getting bolder and bolder... they have been probing and pushing to provoke a reaction - and now they've now found the point that the US will strike back".
He hopes that today's events will be an important lesson for the Iranian terror proxy that "they will pay an enormous price if they try anything else".
In response to the deadly clash, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said this evening that the US would "bear the consequences" of the attack.
The group also vowed that any other countries who threaten them, like America, could face "negative repercussions".
The UK's Secretary for Defence Grant Shapps said: "This morning’s atrocious attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis were an unacceptable and outrageous act designed to destabilise global trade.
"The Houthis must end their illegal campaign against merchant shipping and stop all violent attacks immediately."
Britain's military is said to be preparing to launch a wave of air strikes against the the rebels who are turning one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes into a war zone, The Sunday Times reports,
A Whitehall source today revealed the strikes, in coordination with the US, could involve RAF warplanes for the first time or HMS Diamond.
The Royal Navy destroyer, currently stationed in the Red Sea, successfully destroyed an attack drone launched by the Houthis with a Sea Viper missile earlier this month.
A statement is expected in coming hours.
Last night, defence chiefs in Britain and America were in talks over a possible armed response on the militia's sites in Yemen that are being used to launch attacks on vessels.
It comes after a US-led task force of warships from at leats eight countries, including the UK, was created as a show of force against the Houthi attacks - but they continued.
Sources said eight of the 20 ships attacked in the 30 days before Christmas were either UK-registered, had Brits in their crew or carried goods for the UK.
Under a barrage of rocket and drone attacks, major shipping firms such as BP and Maersk are diverting vessels away from the Red Sea - sparking concerns the crisis will drive up the price of goods and inflation.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps warned: “Those terrorists who are disrupting trade in the Red Sea are drinking in the last chance saloon.
“Diplomatic efforts have been made to find a resolution but with limited success.
“We cannot allow one of the world’s key waterways that serves global trade to be held for ransom.
“Attacks on commercial shipping with drones and missiles is an attack on all of us and the culture and freedoms we cherish."
Over £1trillion worth of world trade is currently being held hostage as the emboldened militia group has pledged to continue their attacks until Israel's devastating offensive and bombardment of the Gaza Strip ends.
The Red Sea forms the gateway to the world as it provides the only route for ships travelling between Asia and Europe without having to sail around southern Africa.
It can save up to 30 days at sea - but those who cross must pass through the "Gate of Tears", which got its name from the lethal nature of navigating through the tight strait.
Ships attempting to navigate the 20 mile-wide Bab el-Mandeb Strait are forced to sail dangerously close to the coast of Yemen - where Houthi rebels are now waiting to strike.
Roughly 10 per cent of all global trade passes through it.
Today's deadly confrontation between the Houthis and the US Navy marks a major escalation in the spiralling Red Sea crisis.
The Iran-backed terror proxy has previously directly challenged the US with a simple message - 'If you strike us, we will strike you right back'.
