The US and UK, supported by several other nations, have launched a series of strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, hitting more than 30 targets across at least 13 locations. These coordinated strikes involved fighter jets and surface platforms and aimed to disrupt Houthi activities threatening international shipping lanes.
Among the targeted sites were Houthis’ deeply buried weapons storage facilities, missile systems and launchers, air defense systems, and radars used by them to target international shipping.
Soon after the attack in a joint statement issued the member nations informed coalition strikes in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. The joint statement issued by the US and UK, along with Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, emphasized their goal of de-escalating tensions and restoring stability in the Red Sea region. They warned the Houthi leadership against continued threats and reaffirmed their commitment to defending lives and ensuring the free flow of commerce through one of the world’s most critical waterways.
It’s crucial to note that these airstrikes in Yemen address ongoing Houthi threats to international shipping and US warships in the Red Sea. In contrast, recent attacks in Iraq and Syria targeted Iranian-backed groups, marking a broader strategy against such groups in the Middle East.
On the joint strikes in Yemen, the US Central Command in a statement said, “These strikes are intended to degrade Houthi capabilities used to continue their reckless and unlawful attacks on U.S. and U.K. ships as well as international commercial shipping in the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden. These strikes are separate and distinct from the multinational freedom of navigation actions performed under Operation Prosperity Guardian.”
US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin too emphasized that these strikes aimed to disrupt and degrade the capabilities of the Houthi militia. “These strikes are intended to further disrupt and degrade the capabilities of the Iranian-backed Houthi militia to conduct their reckless and destabilizing attacks against U.S. and international vessels lawfully transiting the Red Sea,” he said.
Continuing further, in his statement he further warned the Houthis that they will continue to bear further consequences if they do not end their illegal attacks on international shipping and naval vessels.
