In response to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea, the United States and the United Kingdom carried out airstrikes from air and sea against Houthi military targets in Yemen. Witnesses in Yemen reported explosions across the country, confirming the strikes.
President Joe Biden issued a statement on Thursday, emphasizing that the targeted strikes send a clear message that the U.S. and its allies will not tolerate attacks on their personnel or threats to freedom of navigation.
The British Ministry of Defence stated that early indications suggest the strikes have dealt a blow to the Houthis’ ability to threaten merchant shipping. The Houthi attacks in the Red Sea are said to be in support of the Palestinians and Hamas.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, currently in the hospital due to surgery complications, explained that the strikes targeted various Houthi capabilities, including drones, ballistic and cruise missiles, coastal radar, and air surveillance.
The Houthi official denounced the strikes as “American-Zionist-British aggression,” confirming raids in several locations, including the capital Sanaa and the cities of Saada and Dhamar.
There are concerns about the escalation of tensions in the region, with experts warning of the possibility that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates could be drawn into the confrontation. The U.S. asserted that Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands supported the operation, framing the strikes as part of an international effort to restore the free flow of trade in a crucial shipping route between Europe and Asia.
The strikes, the first on Yemeni territory since 2016, were also seen as a reflection of the broader challenges in the Middle East, particularly in the aftermath of the Israel-Hamas conflict. While Washington emphasized no intent to escalate tensions, the Houthis vowed to retaliate to any attack.
Saudi Arabia called for restraint and “avoiding escalation” in a statement following the strikes. The coordinated operation involved aircraft, ships, and submarines, targeting specific Houthi capabilities in an effort to weaken their military capabilities.
The disruption caused by Houthi attacks has impacted international commerce, forcing shipping to take longer routes and raising concerns about potential global inflation.
