- Targets Houthi sites over Red Sea attacks
- US and UK launch Yemen airstrikes
- Escalation in maritime tensions
A fresh round of airstrikes was initiated by the United States and the United Kingdom against Houthi targets in Yemen as the armed group aligned with Iran continued to target commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
In support of Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, the two nations jointly issued a statement on Monday night claiming to have executed eight strikes against a Houthi underground storage facility, in addition to missile and surveillance capabilities.
The statement said, “The purpose of these precision strikes is to disrupt and degrade the Houthi’s capabilities, which they employ to endanger innocent mariners and global trade.”
The Houthis have claimed that the attacks are a demonstration of their support for the Palestinians and a reaction to Israel’s conflict in Gaza.
Since November, the faction that exercises authority over a significant portion of Yemen has engaged in assaults against dozens of vessels in the principal waterway, thereby causing considerable disruption to international maritime commerce and giving rise to apprehension regarding the repercussions on the worldwide economy.
Since mid-November, according to the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence, the Houthis have carried out over thirty attacks against international shipping.
As well as “de-escalating tensions and restoring stability in the Red Sea,” the attacks on Houthi sites were intended to “hold the group accountable for their unlawful and unjustified attacks on mariners and commercial shipping,” according to the statement.
Houthi Attack on US Ship
The Houthis claimed to have executed a successful assault on the US military cargo ship Ocean Jazz in the Gulf of Aden on Monday, prompting the strikes.
The US Naval Forces Central Command stated that it had “maintained constant communications with the M/V Ocean Jazz throughout its safe transit” and deemed the allegations “blatantly false.”
The Houthis did not mention the attack’s exact time, location, or extent of damage.
The United States military had contracted the vessel named by the Houthis on Monday, according to the British maritime security firm Ambrey.
David Cameron, the foreign minister of the United Kingdom, pledged on Tuesday to continue impeding the group’s ability to attack ships.
Cameron stated, “Once again, we have demonstrated unequivocally that our actions support our threats and warnings while simultaneously emphasising our unwavering determination to impede their capacity to execute such assaults.”
“Since our last proactive measure ten days ago, the Houthis have launched more than twelve assaults against commerce. These assaults are prohibited. They cannot be accepted.”
Houthi Retaliation and Strikes
On X, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree declared retaliation for the bombardment, stating, “These assaults will not be tolerated or unpunished.”
Multiple Houthi targets were struck, according to an unidentified US military official who spoke to The Associated Press news agency that between twenty-five and thirty munitions were launched during the joint strikes.
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He stated that the attack obliterated underground storage facilities containing advanced weapons and that it was the first time such weapons had been targeted in Yemen.
The Houthi forces were targeted by the militaries of the United States and the United Kingdom on January 11, one day after the United Nations Security Council denounced and demanded an end to the rebel group’s assaults on Red Sea shipping.
The Houthis captured and transported the Japanese-operated Galaxy Leader to the port of Hodeidah on November 19. Since then, the ship’s twenty-five-member international crew, the majority of whom were Filipino, has been detained.
Thus far, Houthi operations have been primarily confined to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, an intricate passageway that links the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Daily, an estimated fifty vessels traverse the strait en route to or from the Suez Canal, a vital passageway for international maritime commerce.
As a result, trade between Asia and Europe has been slowed as some of the largest maritime companies in the world suspend operations in the area and reroute their vessels along the more extensive route that circumnavigates the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa.
Cabinet discusses military action against Yemen’s Houthi fighters
