US and UK naval forces in the Red Sea have launched airstrikes on Houthi rebel targets throughout Yemen.
According to US sources, Tomahawk cruise missiles and fighter jets launched from warships struck more than 12 targets, including the capital, Sanaa, and Hudaydah, the Houthi Red Sea port bastion.
The strikes come in reaction to the Iran-backed group’s repeated attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
The Houthis, who support Hamas, claim to be targeting ships related to Israel.
According to reports, US President Joe Biden stated that the US and UK military had effectively begun strikes against Houthi targets, with help from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands.
“These targeted strikes are a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation,” Mr. Biden said.
He added that he “will not hesitate” to order further military action if necessary.
These are the first such actions by the US and UK military in the Red Sea since the Houthis launched drone and missile strikes on ships in November.
Houthi rebels have used missiles and drones to target merchant vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, endangering lives, damaging the global economy, and destabilizing the area.
According to reports, four RAF Typhoon planes flying from Akrotiri in Cyprus launched air strikes on two Houthi sites in Yemen using Paveway bombs.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the strikes in a statement on Friday morning, describing them as “limited, necessary, and proportionate action in self-defense.”
Mr. Sunak condemned the “reckless actions” of the Houthi militia, which he claimed had carried out a series of “dangerous and destabilizing attacks” against commercial shipping in the Red Sea despite repeated warnings from the UN.
He added that the UK would “always stand up for freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade.”.
On January 9, HMS Diamond, along with US warships, successfully repelled the Houthis’ greatest offensive in the Red Sea to date. On the same day, the Houthis claimed to have targeted a US ship giving support to Israel, marking the 26th strike on commercial vessels in the Red Sea since November 19.
Houthi strikes in the Red Sea rose by 500% between November and December. The threat has become so severe that major shipping companies have stopped sailing in the region, and insurance premiums have increased tenfold since early December.
According to the International Chamber of Shipping, 20% of all container ships now avoid the Red Sea in favor of a significantly longer path around Africa’s southern point.
