WASHINGTON — United States and United Kingdom They launched air strikes this Thursday against the Houthi rebels in Yemen due to the attacks of that group supported by Iran against navigation in the mar Rojoauthorities reported and witnesses confirmed in cities of the Arab country.
The armed forces of the United States and Britain bombed more than a dozen facilities used by the Houthis in Yemen, a massive attack with Tomahawk missiles launched from ships and fighter jets, several US officials said.
Military targets included command centers, anti-aircraft systems, weapons depots and launch pads, they added.
US President Joe Biden confirmed in a statement that the bombings “successfully” hit several Houthi targets with the “support” of Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands.
First military response
The president expressed that he “will not hesitate” to “order other measures” to protect the United States and international trade, and said that the attacks were aimed at demonstrating that the United States and its allies “will not tolerate” the incessant attacks by the Houthis in the Red Sea.
The offensive represents the first US military response to what has been a persistent campaign of drone and missile attacks against commercial vessels since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas. And the coordinated military response comes just a week after the White House and a host of allied nations issued a final warning to the Houthis to put an end to their attacks or face possible military action.
The warning appeared to have at least some impact, albeit briefly, after the attacks stopped for several days. However, the rebels Houthis launched their largest wave of drones and missiles against ships in the Red Sea on Thursday, to which American and British ships and United States fighter planes responded by shooting down 18 drones, two cruise missiles and an anti-ship projectile.
The Houthis have carried out an increasing number of attacks on the important maritime route of the mar Rojo since the Gaza war broke out with the unprecedented attack by the Hamas terrorist group against Israel on October 7.
Conflict escalation
According to US media, the Western offensive involved fighter jets and Tomahawk missiles.
A Houthi source and witnesses said the airstrikes hit several cities in Yemen, where pro-Irain rebels control a strip of territory.
This Western retaliation increases the risk of turning an already tense situation in the Middle East into a broader conflagration pitting the United States and Israel against Iran and its regional allies.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called an emergency cabinet meeting in London earlier on Thursday and approved the attacks against the Houthis, media reported.
The Houthi rebels justify the attacks on boats by arguing that they are acting in response to the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip after the Hamas incursion, and have launched a series of drones and missiles towards Israel.
That group has controlled much of Yemen since the civil war broke out in 2014 and is part of the so-called “axis of resistance” against Israel, supported by Iran.
The United States and its allies had issued a series of increasingly stern warnings to the Houthis to end maritime attacks, while at the same time being cautious about the risks of stoking regional tensions.
Consequences
In December, Washington created an international coalition to protect maritime traffic in the area, through which 12% of world trade flows.
Twelve nations led by the United States then warned the Houthis on January 3 of “consequences” if they did not immediately end attacks on commercial ships.
But late Tuesday, rebels launched what London called the Yemeni group’s largest attack yet, with U.S. and British forces shooting down 18 drones and three missiles.
British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said Wednesday that “enough is enough.”
Fear of disruption to the world economy
The UN Security Council also called that day for the immediate cessation of naval attacks, warning of a threat to regional peace and security.
The final straw for Western allies appeared to come early Thursday, when the U.S. military declared that rebels had fired an anti-ship ballistic missile at a shipping lane in the Gulf of Aden.
According to the US military, it was the 27th attack against international shipping in the mar Rojo since November 19.
The escalation of attacks has caused shipping companies to avoid the route and detour around South Africa’s Cape of Good Hope, sparking fears of disruption to the global economy.
The Houthis claim they only attack ships linked to Israel or its allies.
Source: With information from AFP and AP
