Defense News , Red Sea :- The United States and Britain have carried out strikes in Yemen against sites connected to the Houthi movement. This is the first time they've taken such action since the Houthi group, backed by Iran, began targeting international ships in the Red Sea late last year.
As reported by witnesses in Yemen, there were explosions across the country. President Joe Biden, in a statement, warned that further action would be taken if necessary. He emphasized that these targeted strikes send a clear message that the United States and its partners will not tolerate attacks on their personnel or threats to freedom of navigation.
According to the British Ministry of Defense, early signs suggest that the Houthi's ability to threaten merchant shipping has been dealt a blow.
A Houthi official referred to the strikes as "American-Zionist-British aggression," confirming raids in several cities, including the capital Sanaa.
The ongoing strikes mark a significant escalation in the conflict and demonstrate the widening impact of the Israel-Hamas war in the Middle East.
The strikes involve aircraft, ships, and submarines targeting more than a dozen locations. The goal is to weaken the Houthi's military capabilities, and they are not merely symbolic, according to a U.S. official speaking anonymously.
The Houthi movement, controlling most of Yemen, has ignored international calls to halt their missile and drone attacks on Red Sea shipping routes. They claim these attacks are in support of Hamas, the Palestinian group controlling Gaza.
The conflict has disrupted international commerce on a key route between Europe and Asia, responsible for about 15% of the world's shipping traffic. The Houthis have attacked 27 ships to date.
The U.S. military reported that the Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile into international shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden, marking the 27th attack by the group since November 19.
The recent strikes come after a major Houthi attack on January 9 in the Red Sea, where U.S. and British naval forces had to intercept 21 Houthi drones and missiles.
President Biden mentioned that the Houthis directly targeted American ships. In December, more than 20 countries agreed to participate in a U.S.-led coalition named Operation Prosperity Guardian, aimed at safeguarding commercial traffic in the Red Sea. However, the recent strikes by the U.S. and Britain occurred outside of this defensive coalition, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands.
Biden concluded by stating that the international community's response to these attacks has been united and resolute.
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