The United States and the United Kingdom conduct military strikes targeting Houthi forces in Yemen.
The United States and the United Kingdom conducted air and sea strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen overnight in response to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea. This marks a regional expansion of the conflict linked to the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
Reports from Yemen confirm explosions across the country, with targeted strikes hitting a military base near Sanaa airport, a military site near Taiz airport, a Houthi naval base in Hodeidah, and military sites in Hajjah governorate.
U.S. President Joe Biden stated, “These targeted strikes are a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation.”
The UK’s defense ministry indicated that early signs suggest the strikes have impacted the Houthi’s ability to threaten merchant shipping. The strikes were described as self-defense, with no immediate plans for further action.
A Houthi military spokesperson reported 73 strikes, resulting in five fighters killed and six wounded. The group vows retaliation and reaffirms its intention to target ships bound for Israel.
Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, supporting Hamas, have been ongoing since October. The U.S. and allies have deployed a naval task force to protect ships, countering Houthi attacks.
Iran, supporting both the Houthis and Hamas, condemned the U.S. and UK attacks. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, despite being in the hospital, stated that the strikes targeted Houthi drones, ballistic and cruise missiles, coastal radar, and air surveillance.
The Houthi official denounced the strikes as “American-Zionist-British aggression,” and Russia called for an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council.
Fears of escalation rise as the Houthi attacks disrupt international commerce, impacting shipping routes and leading to increased delivery costs. The situation has also raised concerns about global inflation, with oil prices spiking due to potential supply disruptions.
Saudi Arabia urges restraint, emphasizing the delicate state of peace negotiations in the ongoing war against the Houthis. The U.S. accuses Iran of operational involvement in the Houthi attacks.
The strikes in Yemen, the first by the U.S. on Yemeni territory since 2016, demonstrate the challenges Washington faces in managing the fallout from the Israel-Hamas conflict.
The conflict, originating in October, has seen heightened violence in various regions, including Lebanon, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Syria, and Iraq. The U.S. accuses Iran of backing armed groups in these areas.
The strikes on Yemen targeted over a dozen locations, aiming to weaken the Houthis’ military capabilities. The Houthis have defied calls to halt their missile and drone attacks on Red Sea shipping routes.
Prior to the strikes, the U.S. military reported the Houthis firing an anti-ship ballistic missile into international shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden. This followed the downing of 21 Houthi drones and missiles by U.S. and British naval forces on January 9, with the Houthis citing retaliation for a New Year’s Eve incident involving U.S. helicopters sinking three Houthi boats.
