- Strikes on Houthi strongholds
- Houthi warns of repercussions
- Global shipping faces disruptions
Rishi Sunak stated that the United Kingdom attacked Houthi sites in Yemen in self-defense.
The United Kingdom and the United States conducted targeted strikes against military installations during the night in response to the armed group’s assaults on vessels in the Red Sea.
Mr. Sunak emphasized that the strike was “targeted, proportionate, and essential” to safeguard lives and commercial shipping.
Houthi representatives retorted that the United Kingdom and the United States would “pay a heavy price” in retaliation.
These are the first strikes commanded by the United States against the Houthi militia since it began targeting international shipping a year ago.
The Houthi movement, a political and military coalition commanding a significant portion of Yemen, asserts its allegiance to Hamas. This is evidenced through its targeting of vessels en route to Israel.
US Air Force said it hit around sixty Houthi targets in sixteen places in Yemen.
During a visit to Ukraine, the prime minister stated that the United Kingdom “acted in self-defense.” This was in response to the Houthis’ Tuesday targeting of ships, which included a Royal Navy warship. He has urged the collective to cease the assaults.
“There has been a substantial surge in the frequency of Houthi attacks, which endangers the lives of innocent individuals. “It is destabilizing the region and causing disruptions to the global economy,” Mr. Sunak stated.
For this reason, I collaborated with my allies in deciding to employ targeted, proportionate, and necessary military operations against Houthi strongholds in an effort to undermine and disrupt their capabilities.
It is evident that such conduct demands a retaliatory course of action. We must convey unequivocally that this violation of international law is reprehensible.
Based on preliminary assessments, the strikes appear to have achieved success, as stated by Mr. Sunak.
Two Royal Air Force typhoons executed two precision strikes against Houthi locations, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Among these targets were two airfields utilized by the Houthis to launch assault drones and missiles over the Red Sea.
“Restricted… essential”
James Heappey, minister of the armed forces, stated that no additional airstrikes were “immediately planned.”
Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer, who was notified by the government on Thursday evening, has also endorsed the strikes.
“Clearly the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have to be dealt with,” he reiterated.
Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Layla Moran, however, demanded an immediate recall of Parliament for a retrospective vote on the strikes and questioned whether the United Kingdom was being drawn into something that could put it at risk of being on the front lines in a “tinderbox” region.
In addition, the SNP has stated that every military action must be examined in the House of Commons.
On Monday, the prime minister will deliver a comprehensive statement to Parliament and answer queries, he said.
Also published is a synopsis of the government’s legal stance regarding the military operations. It stated that international law authorized the United Kingdom to employ force in self-defense.
Former British Army chief Lord Dannatt stated that as permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, the United Kingdom and the United States were obligated to protect international trade.
One can only hope that this is a well-planned, intelligent-led operation that restores the ability of international shipping to circumvent the prohibitively expensive Cape of Good Hope route via the Red Sea in a timely manner.
International Repercussions and Ongoing Tensions
Lord Ricketts, a former national security counsel for the United Kingdom, described the strikes on Houthi strongholds as “inevitable” in light of the group’s disregard for warnings and Tuesday’s assault on British and American naval vessels.
He stated, “I believe [the coalition led by the United States] attempted to make it large enough to send a very strong message, but it is also clear that it is a targeted strike against the Houthis’ attacks on shipping and not the Houthis in general.”
The United States and the United Kingdom will “soon realise” that the strikes on Yemen were “the greatest folly in their history,” a Houthi leader warned in response to the attacks.
The outfit said it will keep attacking Israeli and allied Red Sea vessels.
Mohammed Abdulsalam, a spokesman, stated, “We affirm that there is no justification for this aggression against Yemen. As there was no threat to international navigation in the Arabian and Red Seas.”
The Houthis maintain authority over northern Yemen, the capital city of Sanaa, and the littoral of the Red Sea. The militant organization claims to be a member of the “axis of resistance” commanded by Iran, which is opposed to Israel, the United States, and the broader Western world.
University of Cambridge Yemen expert Dr. Elisabeth Kendall stated that she did not believe the Houthis desired war with the United States, but that a conflict could be advantageous for them domestically and increase their leverage in negotiations with Saudi Arabia, which seeks to end the group’s nearly decade-long conflict.
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She explained that when positioned at the entrance of one of the most vital trade routes in the world, a small group using relatively simple armaments can inflict significant damage.
In light of the attacks, Russia has requested an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council. The occasion is scheduled for Friday afternoon.
The foreign ministry of Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, conveyed “extreme concern” regarding the airstrikes.
The text of the resolution adopted by the UN Security Council on Wednesday, which demanded an urgent halt to Houthi attacks, also affirmed the right of UN member states to defend their vessels.
BP and other major shipping lines have redirected vessels around southern Africa, increasing trip times and costs.
If the crisis continues, customers may pay more, hindering inflation and interest rate reduction efforts.
