US, Britain carry out strikes against Houthis in Yemen

The United States and Britain launched air and naval operations against Houthi military targets in Yemen overnight in response to the movement’s attacks on ships in the Red naval, a regional expansion of the conflict.

Witnesses in Yemen confirmed explosions around the country, with raids targeting a military base adjacent to Sanaa International Airport, a military site near Taiz International Airport, a Houthi naval station in Hodeidah, and military sites in Hajjah Governorate.

According to the UK defense ministry, early indications are that the Houthis’ ability to threaten merchant shipping has taken a blow.

A junior defence minister, James Heappey, claimed the strikes were in self-defense and that no additional action was planned for the time being.

Meanwhile, a Houthi military spokesman stated that 73 strikes had killed five of the group’s fighters and injured six others. The attacks would not go unpunished or unretaliated for, and the gang would continue to strike ships bound for Israel, he claimed.

Report says the Houthis, an armed movement that took control of most of Yemen over the past decade, have been attacking shipping at the mouth of the Red Sea one of the world’s busiest trade lanes since October. The action is in support of Hamas, they say.

The United States and its allies have deployed a naval task force to the area to protect ships, and US and British warships shot down 21 drones and missiles on Tuesday to repel the biggest Houthi attack so far.

Iran, which supports armed groups around the Middle East including both the Houthis and Hamas, condemned the US and British attacks. A Houthi spokesperson said there was no justification for the attacks.

A Houthi official confirmed ‘raids’ in the capital Sanaa along with the cities of Saada and Dhamar as well as in Hodeidah governorate, calling them “American-Zionist-British aggression.”

Russia, however, requested an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council on the strikes. France, the current council president, said it will take place Friday afternoon.

The Houthi attacks have hampered worldwide business, forcing some ships to take the lengthy way around southern Africa, increasing delivery costs and time and raising concerns about a new wave of global inflation.

According to the report, the price of oil has risen considerably due to concerns that supply may be disrupted. Brent crude increased by $2.
According to the US, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands all supported the operation, which is part of an international campaign to restore free trade.

The route, which links Europe Asia, and Africa via the Suez Canal, accounts for about 15% of the world’s shipping traffic.

Meanwhile, the strikes, the first by the United States on Yemeni territory since 2016, were a clear demonstration of Washington’s struggle to contain the fallout of the Israel-Hamas war since it broke out in October.

Additionally, Saudi Arabia has called for restraint and “avoiding escalation.” The Saudis have backed the opposing side in a war against the Houthis for nearly a decade, which has been in a delicate state of peace negotiations.

The United States also accused Iran of being involved operationally in the Houthi attacks, providing the military capabilities and intelligence to carry them out.

Israel has mounted a military assault that has killed over 23,000 Palestinians in Gaza after Hamas fighters attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing 240 hostages.

Report says the strikes on Yemen were carried out by aircraft, ships, and submarines.

The Houthis have defied a call by the United Nations to halt their missile and drone attacks on Red Sea shipping routes and warnings from the United States of consequences if they failed to do so.

Netanyahu said Israel vowed to continue fighting Hamas and the country’s right to defend itself, and that the Israeli army was “doing everything it could to avoid harming those who are uninvolved.”