• The Houthi militia in Yemen is launching waves of attacks on ships in the Red Sea.

• The US is deploying a major firepower to shoot them down.

• The Houthis — allies of Iran — began their attacks after Israel's counterattack on Gaza.

Houthi loyalists show off their weapons in Amran province, Yemen, on December 20,

The US response to waves of attacks by Islamist militants on commercial ships in the Red Sea has so far been restrained.

But behind the scenes the Pentagon is deploying acres of firepower to the region, sending more than than it has in decades, The Times of London reported, citing Pentagon sources.

A Pentagon source told The Times that the US was spending millions shooting down drones and missiles fired by the Houthi militants who control much of Yemen.

Per the newspaper, the exercise is a massive mismatch, with the US firing munitions worth millions of dollars to counter Houthi drones worth in the region of $1,000.

The US aim is to protect shipping through the Red Sea, through which cargo vessels have to pass to reach the vital Suez Canal.

The attacks, mostly on vessels in the Bab al-Mandab at the southern end of the Red Sea, are prompting international shipping companies to reroute their vessels to avoid the risk of being struck.

Messing with the shipping lanes there could massively disrupt global supply chains.

The Houthis launched their attacks in response to Israel's bombardment of Gaza, which has killed around 20,000 people, and was itself a response to the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, which killed some 1,200 Israelis.

In its most striking attack, the Houthis hijacked a Japanese-British cargo ship, the Galaxy Leader, in November, and have held it since.

The US has not attacked militant bases directly, but is instead shooting down missiles and drones as they are fired, with significant success.

Other countries are weighing in, too, with France and the UK contributing ships.

Per The Times, the US is wary of directly attacking the Houthis — which could stop their ability to launch any missiles — in case it leads to a potentially ruinous broader conflict in the Middle East.

Iran could decide to respond to a perceived escalation by the US by using its proxy militant groups to step up attacks on the US and its allies in the Middle East, or its Lebanese proxy, Hezbollah, could open a new front against Israel over its northern border.

This, in turn, could drag the US into a direct confrontation with Iran.