Red Sea fighting might be flash point to larger war involving U. S.

Volatility in the Middle East seems to be getting worse. It’s beyond Israel’s war against Hamas.

A battle for control of the Red Sea has the United States conducting air strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen.

The rebels have been attacking commercial ships in the water that are carrying cargo to western countries. This week the United States re-classified the Houthis as a terrorist group.

Host Jim Niedelman returns to discuss that and more with Iowa Republican Party Chair Jeff Kaufmann and Democratic political consultant Porter McNeil.

“You know what’s ironic is that that Joe Biden is the one that remove this group from the terrorist list to begin with,” Kaufmann said. “These folks are testing us.”

“We do have a concern about the cancer of a wider war,” McNeil said. “I think Senator Blinken and President Biden have been strong and effective.”

To hear what else our panelists have to say, click on the video.

And now we want to hear more from you, too, with our question of the week: How concerned are you that Israel’s war against Hamas and the military activity in the Red Sea could drag the United States into a larger conflict in the Middle East? Please share your thoughts at

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