(Dan Tri) – The White House said that the US is not trying to escalate the conflict in the Middle East after its helicopters sank three ships of the Houthi forces in the Red Sea.

US aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower (Photo: Zuma).

`We do not seek  to escalate the conflict in the Middle East. We also do not desire a conflict with the Houthi forces. A best-case scenario would be for the Houthis to stop their attacks as we have repeatedly stated`

Mr. Kirby emphasized: `We have made it clear to the Houthi forces, we have affirmed to our allies and partners in the region that we are mindful of this threat (the threat from the Houthis).`

The above comment was made after US Navy helicopters sank three Houthi ships in the Red Sea on December 31.

According to a statement by the US Central Command (CENTCOM), Houthi ships were then attacking the cargo ship Maersk Hangzhou in the Red Sea.

This is the second time the ship has been attacked in just the past few days.

US helicopters launched from the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower and the destroyer USS Gravely quickly supported the cargo ship and warned the Houthi forces.

The crew of the Maersk Hangzhou remained safe and the ship continued its journey toward the Suez Canal.

Washington has so far tried to avoid directly attacking the Houthi group inside Yemen to avoid the risk of widespread conflict in the Middle East.

Washington accused the Houthis of carrying out dozens of attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea since October 7, 2023, the time of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The US immediately deployed aircraft carriers and auxiliary ships to the area, claiming to strengthen security for this important shipping route.

`We have important national security interests in the region. We will deploy the necessary forces to the region to protect those interests and we will continue to defend,` Mr. Kirby said.

When asked about the possibility of a pre-emptive strike in the region, Mr. Kirby reiterated: `We’re not ruling anything out, but we’ve made it clear that we consider the threats