(Stars and Stripes) Corey Dickstein - U.S. Central Command head Gen. Michael Kurilla told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday that U.S. strikes in February on Iranian proxy militant groups in Iraq and Syria have deterred them from firing at American troops for more than a month. Kurilla said the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7 "permanently changed" the region. "It created the conditions for malign actors to sow instability throughout the region and beyond. Iran exploited what they saw as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape the Middle East to their advantage." Blaming Iran for the uptick in violence throughout the region, Kurilla said that country should face more consequences for its actions. However, repeated U.S. strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen have not deterred the group from its attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Near-daily strikes against the Houthis have been defensive in nature - taking out drones or missiles before they can be launched or once they are on the way toward a target. The Houthis' weapons come from Iran, Kurilla said.
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