■Proposed naval strikes on Yemen’s Houthis could strain U.S. Navy.

■Operation Poseidon Archer could escalate Middle East tensions.

■Continuous Middle East deployments have depleted U.S. Navy resources.

The Biden administration’s proposed strategy of naval strikes against Yemen’s Houthis could further strain the already overworked U.S. Navy, according to experts.

The plan, dubbed Operation Poseidon Archer, comes in response to Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping. However, critics argue that this approach could lead to an escalation in the Middle East, while diverting resources from the Pacific, a region of greater strategic importance.

The U.S. Navy has been stretched thin due to continuous deployments in the Middle East over the past two decades, leading to overworked ships and sailors, and a depletion of precision munitions. The strain on the Navy has also been linked to tragic accidents, such as the 2017 collisions of the USS McCain and USS Fitzgerald with civilian ships.

The future of the Navy looks bleak, with a looming recruitment crisis and a shrinking fleet. The most immediate concern, however, is the depletion of munitions, which could impact the U.S.’s ability to deter or defeat a potential Chinese attack in the Pacific.

Read more at Time.com.