Experts caution the Biden-Harris administration to adopt a more assertive strategy against the Iran-backed Houthis.

The Pentagon has faced criticism from military commanders over the U.S. military's response to the Houthis' threat in the Red Sea, with some calling for a stronger approach.

According to Retired RADM Mark Montgomery, the senior director for the Center on Cyber and Tech Innovation at the Foundation for Defense of Democracy, the U.S. must take more aggressive actions against Iran for supporting the Houthis. Until the U.S. imposes costs on Iran, these Houthi attacks will persist.

Montgomery stated that the Biden administration is not employing an effective deterrence strategy against the Iranians and the Houthis due to its preoccupation with provoking Iran rather than shaping its behavior.

"Allowing a bully to go unchecked for an extended period can make confronting them more difficult."

Gen. Michael Kurilla, the new commander of CENTCOM, wrote a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stating that the current policies are not effective in stopping Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.

A "whole of government" approach, including economic, diplomatic, and military pressure, was called for by Kurilla to dissuade the terrorist group from its campaign against shipping vessels in the region.

Some members of the defense department were taken aback by the tone of Kurilla's letter, particularly his assertion that "U.S. service members will die if we continue going this way."

The Pentagon stated that they had no further information to share in response to a request for comment.

After Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, Israel invaded Gaza, prompting the Houthis to launch attacks against shipping vessels in the Red Sea.

The Houthis asserted that they were targeting ships that had commercial ties with Israel, but their assaults affected vessels from numerous nations, resulting in substantial disruptions and jeopardizing the safety of hundreds of sailors.

The U.S. has taken a comprehensive approach to counter the Houthis, using measures such as sanctions, designating the group as a terrorist organization, and disrupting their supply lines, according to Sean Savett, spokesperson for the U.S. National Security Council (NSC).

We will continue to make it clear to the Houthis that they will face consequences if they do not stop their illegal attacks, which harm regional economies, cause environmental damage, and disrupt the delivery of humanitarian aid to Yemen and other countries, as we have stated.

The Houthis and officials engaged in an intense six-month sea battle, with the Houthis launching missiles, drones or attacks nearly every day, according to The Associated Press.

Cmdr. Eric Blomberg of the USS Laboon stated to the AP during a visit to his warship on the Red Sea that he believes people do not fully comprehend the severity of the situation and the constant threat to the ships.

"We need to get it right only once," he said. "The Houthis need to get one through."

On August 21, a group in the Red Sea hit a Greek-flagged oil tanker, causing it to lose control and catch fire. Although the Houthis did not claim responsibility, the British military identified the group as the perpetrator.

Over the weekend, CENTCOM destroyed an uncrewed aerial vehicle and an uncrewed surface vessel near Yemen, posing a "clear and imminent threat" to U.S. and coalition forces.

During an interview with YouTube personality and retired Navy aviator Ward Carroll, Rear Adm. Marc Miguez of the U.S. Navy disclosed that more aggressive strategies had been proposed, but command rejected them due to concerns about an Iranian response.

Miguez stated in an interview that our National Command Authority decided not to challenge more aggressive postures and strikes, despite the strategies that were presented.

The National Command Authority, including the NSA, assesses the threat emanating from Iranian-backed groups like the Houthis at echelon zero.

""We will need to continue dealing with this issue in the future, and our National Command Authority may need to take a more aggressive approach with our strike groups and assets, including the Navy," he said."

The NSC spokesperson denied that the administration decided against a more aggressive policy over concerns about Iran's response.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.