The US and UK initiated air and naval strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen, resulting in a significant regional widening of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, in response to the movement’s attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
US President Joe Biden said, “these strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea.”
The US and UK conducted air strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in response to recent attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea during the late hours of Thursday.
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) January 12, 2024
Explosions were observed in various Yemeni cities, including Sanaa, Hodeidah, Saada, and Dhamar. As of now,… pic.twitter.com/wpCNiRWbs6
Attacks on Houthis in Yemen
According to a statement released by the US Department of Defence, “the militaries of the US and the UK, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, conducted strikes against military targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.”
Defence Secretary Lloyd J. Austin said, “Today’s coalition action sends a clear message to the Houthis that they will bear further costs if they do not end their illegal attacks.”
The US Air Force’s Mideast Command said it targeted roughly 60 targets at 16 sites in Yemen, including “command-and-control nodes, munitions depots, launching systems, production facilities, and air defence radar systems.”
Associated Press (AP) journalists in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, reported hearing four explosions early Friday. Two Hodeida residents said they heard five powerful explosions in the city’s western port area, which is located on the Red Sea and a major port city controlled by the Houthis.
Eyewitnesses who spoke with the AP also reported strikes in Taiz and Dhamar, both south of Sanaa.
A Houthi official confirmed “raids” in the capital, Sanaa, the cities of Saada and Dhamar, and the Hodeidah governorate, describing them as “American-Zionist-British aggression.”
The Red Sea is a crucial waterway for international trade, particularly for oil and fuel supplies, connecting Egypt’s Suez Canal to the Gulf of Aden via the Bab al-Mandab Strait.
Attacks on Red Sea ‘Endangered’ US Personnel: Biden
Biden said in a statement, “these attacks have endangered US personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardised trade, and threatened freedom of navigation.”
“More than 50 nations have been affected in 27 attacks on international commercial shipping. Crews from more than 20 countries have been threatened or taken hostage in acts of piracy,” Biden remarked.
The US President also talked about the attack on 9 January, when the Houthi rebels launched their largest-ever attack of drones and missiles against trade in the Red Sea, prompting US and British ships, as well as American fighter jets, to shoot down 18 drones, two cruise missiles, and an anti-ship missile.
“The response of the international community to these reckless attacks has been united and resolute,” Biden said.
On Thursday evening, @RoyalAirForce Typhoons successfully conducted precision strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen.
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) January 12, 2024
This action was taken jointly with the US in response to repeated Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
Full statement ➡️ https://t.co/m2SODThJoH pic.twitter.com/pVjNeo57qU
British PM’s Statement
In a separate statement, UK PM Rishi Sunak said the Royal Air Force conducted targeted attacks against Houthi military targets. The Defence Ministry stated that four fighter jets based in Cyprus participated in the strikes.
“This cannot stand. The United Kingdom will always stand up for freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade,” Sunak said.
“We have therefore taken limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence, alongside the United States with non-operational support from the Netherlands, Canada and Bahrain against targets tied to these attacks,” Sunak claimed.
In his concluding remarks, the British leader said, “The Royal Navy continues to patrol the Red Sea as part of the multinational Operation Prosperity Guardian to deter further Houthi aggression, and we urge them to cease their attacks and take steps to de-escalate.”
Joint Statement
According to a joint statement issued by Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, the UK, and the US, the “precision strikes were intended to disrupt and degrade the capabilities the Houthis use to threaten global trade and the lives of international mariners in one of the world’s most critical waterways.”
As per the statement,
“The Houthis’ more than two dozen attacks on commercial vessels since mid-November constitute an international challenge. Today’s action demonstrated a shared commitment to freedom of navigation, international commerce, and defending the lives of mariners from illegal and unjustifiable attacks.”
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the UN Security Council issued a resolution demanding that the Houthis immediately cease their attacks and implicitly condemn their weapons supplier, Iran. It passed by a vote of 11-0 with four abstentions: Russia, China, Algeria, and Mozambique.