The United States and the United Kingdom launched a new strike against Houthi targets in Yemen on Saturday, the fourth air offensive in response to missiles and drones launched by the terrorist group against ships in the Red Sea, the Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reported that U.S. and British forces struck eight targets, ranging from subterranean weapons depots and defense systems to a helicopter. The offensive was supported by Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand.
"We will continue to make clear to the Houthis that they will bear the consequences if they do not stop their illegal attacks," Austin said in a statement, in which he also recalled that Iran is behind the rebel organization. In a statement reported by the official Iranian news agency, INRA, the Houthis vowed to continue their attacks as long as "the attacks on Gaza do not stop and the siege of the Palestinian people continues." Iran condemned the offensive and accused London and Washington of "escalating tensions and crises in the region."
In a statement, the U.S. Central Command (CETCOM) assured that 18 airstrikes had been carried out at 11:50 p.m. local time. Hours earlier, the U.S. destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87) had taken down an anti-ship ballistic missile launched by the Houthis which, according to CENTCOM, was aimed at a U.S. chemical tanker.
F/A-18 Super Hornets launch from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower supporting strikes against on Iranian-Backed Houthi Targets on Feb. 24. pic.twitter.com/bTtRdsCkwg
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 25, 2024
The Rubymar spill
A week ago, terrorists managed to hit a ship carrying 41,000 tons of fertilizer in the Red Sea. The Belize-flagged, British-owned Rubymar carrier was anchored but "slowly taking on water," CENTCOM reported Saturday. The loss of its cargo "caused an 18-mile oil slick."
On Feb. 18 between 9:30 p.m. and 10:40 p.m., Iran-backed Houthi terrorists attacked the M/V Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, UK-owned bulk carrier. The ship is anchored but slowly taking on water. The unprovoked and reckless attack by Iran-backed Houthi terrorists caused significant… pic.twitter.com/bU6j850wwG
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 24, 2024
A U.S. official told CNN that sailing conditions and the risk of another Houthi attack complicated the task of towing the vessel to a nearby port.
The crew was successfully evacuated, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said in a news conference Thursday. Singh maintained that "the leakage of all the fuel that it's carrying" by the vessel was creating an "environmental hazard."
The spokeswoman also acknowledged that in recent days the Houthis had stepped up their offensive. She also argued that their attacks were harming Yemenis themselves, as evidenced by the leak of hazardous material from the Rubymar and another recent attack on a ship carrying grain for Yemen's "starving population."
They're saying that they're conducting these attacks against ships that are connected to Israel. These are ships that are literally bringing goods, services, aid to their own people, and they're creating their own international problem.
انفوجرافيك || تشكيل خلية طوارئ حكومية للتعامل مع أزمة السفينة "روبي مار" التي تنذر بوقوع بكارثة بيئية بحرية وشيكة قبالة السواحل اليمنية في البحر الاحمر، جراء تعرضها لأضرار جسيمة نتيجة استهدافها بهجوم صاروخي من قبل المليشيات الحوثية الاسبوع الماضي. pic.twitter.com/4JCr6QdqUC
— رئاسة مجلس الوزراء اليمني (@Yemen_PM) February 24, 2024
From the official account of new Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak, it was announced that an emergency team has been set up to deal with the "Rubymar crisis."
