This Thursday, the United States and the United Kingdom, with limited support from four other countries, launched airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen after the rebel group attacked commercial ships from various countries in the Red Sea over recent weeks.
“Today, at my direction, U.S. military forces—together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands—successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most vital waterways," announced President Joe Biden in a statement.
🚨 #BREAKING | Airstrikes conducted by US and UK on Houthi targets in Sanaa, Saada, Hodeidah, Zabid, and Dhamar.
📍Yemen pic.twitter.com/WQJFvCNAs6
— VOZ (@Voz_US) January 12, 2024
The airstrikes in Yemen come 48 hours after the Houthis launched their largest attack to date, targeting US ships directly.
“These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea—including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history” Biden added. “These attacks have endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardized trade, and threatened freedom of navigation.”
The Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea have affected dozens of countries and raised tensions in the Middle East between Western powers and Iran, which supports the insurgent group.
Prior to the attacks, Abdel Malek al-Houthi, supreme leader of the Houthis, had threatened massive retaliation if the United States and its allies launched attacks on Yemen.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Republican Mike Johnson, reacted to the attack led by the United States and the United Kingdom by questioning its “delay.” In his opinion, the Western powers should have acted sooner.
“This action by U.S. and British forces is long overdue, and we must hope these operations indicate a true shift in the Biden Administration’s approach to Iran and its proxies that are engaging in such evil and wreaking such havoc,” said Johnson. “They must understand there is a serious price to pay for their global acts of terror and their attacks on U.S. personnel and commercial vessels. America must always project strength, especially in these dangerous times.”
Iran condemns strikes, Houthis amp up threats
The Iranian Foreign Ministry on Friday condemned U.S. and U.K. strikes against Houthi terrorists in Yemen and said it was an "arbitrary action" and a "violation" of international law.
Houthi terrorists, who control part of Yemen and are supported by Iran, continue to launch multiple attacks on ships in the Red Sea in support of Palestinian Hamas terrorists in Gaza. In this regard, a spokesman for the Houthis, Mohamed Abdel Salam, said on Friday that they will continue to attack Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea despite U.S. and U.K. bombing raids on their positions.
