US And UK Strike Houthi Sites In Yemen
The US and Britain launched air and missile strikes in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, aimed at halting attacks on ships in the Red Sea, Washington and London have announced.
Joe Biden, the US president, said American and British forces, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands were involved in the overnight attack, involving at least 60 targets in 16 locations around Yemen.
In a statement, Biden said: “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.
“These attacks have endangered US personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardised trade, and threatened freedom of navigation.”
Biden also said he would be willing to authorise further attacks on Yemen if Houthi attacks on shipping did not stop. “I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary,” he said.
US Central Command said the overnight airstrikes targeted “radar systems, air defense systems, and storage and launch sites for one way attack unmanned aerial systems, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles”.
US Air Force Lt Gen Alex Grynkewich, said the US had “executed deliberate strikes on over 60 targets at 16 Iranian-backed Houthi militant locations, including command and control nodes, munitions depots, launching systems, production facilities and air defence radar systems.”
Houthi forces claimed to have instantly retaliated against western warships, but a senior US military official said late on Thursday night no Houthi response had so far materialised.
“As of right now, we have not seen any direct retaliatory action directed towards our US or other coalition members,” the US official said, adding: “We remain prepared of course to defend ourselves.”
Houthis spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam said on Friday there was no justification for the strikes and vowed to continue targeting ships heading for Israel.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani strongly condemned the military attacks on several cities in Yemen, saying: “We consider it a clear violation of Yemen’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a breach of international laws, regulations, and rights.” Lebanon’s powerful armed group Hezbollah also condemned the strikes.
The western air strikes come at a time of significantly heightened tensions in the Middle East. Israel’s war in Gaza is now into its fourth month, while the country is also engaged in an increasingly violent exchanges of missile fire on its northern border with the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, who are backed by Iran.
Rishi Sunak, the British prime minister confirmed UK participation in the strikes, saying, “We have … taken limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence, alongside the United States against targets tied to these attacks, to degrade Houthi military capabilities and protect global shipping.”
Initial reports suggested that around a dozen sites in Yemen had been targeted, using fighter jets from the US Navy, US Air Force and Royal Air Force, along with ship-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles, suggesting a broad assault intended to quickly deter the Houthis and make it harder to launch further attacks into the Red Sea.
“This was a significant action and and conducted with the objective and every expectation that it will degrade in a significant way, the Houthis’ capability to launch exactly the sorts of attacks that they have conducted over the period of recent weeks,” a senior US administration official said.
