US and UK launched large-scale strikes against eight Houthi targets in Yemen

This Monday, the United States and the United Kingdom, together with the support of Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands, launched several rounds of large-scale attacks against various Houthi targets in Yemen.

The attacks, according to the joint statement, were carried out in retaliation for the Houthis' constant aggression against commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Eden, Politico magazine reported exclusively.

The countries claimed they were precision strikes "intended to disrupt and degrade the capabilities that the Houthis use to threaten global trade and the lives of innocent mariners."

"Our aim remains to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea," the joint statement reads, "but let us reiterate our warning to Houthi leadership: we will not hesitate to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world's most critical waterways in the face of continued threats."

Monday's strikes hit targets at a Houthi underground storage site as well as other targets connected to the Iran-backed rebel group's air and missile surveillance capabilities.

The attacks, according to The New York Times, come at a time when the Biden Administration is concerned about Iran's possible response to increased Western retaliation.

This is the second round of large-scale attacks carried out jointly by the six countries. However, the United States has launched dozens of smaller-scale individual attacks against Houthi targets that the Pentagon said posed imminent threats against commercial vessels.

The first large-scale attack was launched on January 11, after the Houthis ignored multiple warnings from Washington and its allies to stop attacks on maritime trade.