On Thursday, the US and British militaries bombed more than a dozen Iranian-backed Houthi sites in Yemen in a massive retaliatory strike using Tomahawk missiles launched from warships and submarines, as well as fighter jets, according to US officials.
The US Air Force's Mideast Command said it struck over 60 targets at 16 sites in Yemen, including "command-and-control nodes, munitions depots, launching systems, production facilities, and air defence radar systems."
President Joe Biden's Statement
President Joe Biden stated that the strikes were intended to demonstrate that the United States and its allies "will not tolerate" the militant group's ongoing attacks on the Red Sea. He also stated that the decision was reached only after diplomatic negotiations and careful consideration.
According to AP News, Biden said in a statement “These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea — including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history." He highlighted that these attacks are endangering U.S. personnel and civilian mariners and jeopardising trade. Further, he added, “I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary.”
The strikes were the first US military response to a persistent campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships since the start of the Israel-Hamas conflict. The coordinated military assault comes only a week after the White House and a host of partner nations issued a final
You may also read Houthis Detonate Drone Boat, Ignore America's "Final Warning"
The warning appeared to have had some short-term impact, as attacks ceased for several days. On Tuesday, however, the Houthi rebels launched their largest-ever barrage of drones and missiles against shipping in the Red Sea, prompting U.S. and British ships, as well as American fighter jets, to shoot down 18 drones, two cruise missiles, and an anti-ship missile. On Thursday, the Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile into the Gulf of Aden, which was detected by a commercial ship but did not strike it.
_1705071547.webp)
Photo: AP News/ U.S. Navy
According to U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the Royal Air Force carried targeted strikes against the Houthi military. The Defense Ministry stated that four fighter jets based in Cyprus took part in the strikes. Noting that the militants had carried out a series of dangerous attacks on ships, he added, "This cannot stand." He stated that the U.K. took "limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence, alongside the United States with non-operational support from the Netherlands, Canada and Bahrain against targets tied to these attacks, to degrade Houthi military capabilities and protect global shipping."
According to AP News, Ali al-Qahoum, a high-ranking Houthi official, vowed retaliation. "The battle will be bigger ... and beyond the imagination and expectation of the Americans and the British," he wrote in a response to a question on X.
The rebels, who have launched 27 attacks involving dozens of drones and missiles since Nov. 19, had warned that any attack by American forces on their sites in Yemen would result in a fierce military response.
Russia and Iran condemn the US and UK, while China calls for calm
Russia and Iran have condemned the US and UK's military strikes on Yemen, as Moscow called for an urgent U.N. meeting to address the issue, and claimed the airstrikes were irresponsible adventure that risked sowing chaos across the entire Middle East.
"We strongly condemn these irresponsible actions by the United States and its allies," Maria Zakharova, Russia's foreign ministry spokesperson
China urged all parties to prevent the expansion of the Yemen conflict on Friday. "China is concerned about the escalation of tensions in the Red Sea," foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said. "We urge the relevant parties to keep calm and exercise restraint, to prevent the conflict from expanding," she added.
"We hope that the relevant parties can all play a constructive and responsible role in protecting the regional security and stability of the Red Sea, in line with the international community's shared interests," Mao said. China, she added, urged "all parties to jointly maintain the security of international waterways and avoid harassing civilian vessels, as this is detrimental to the global economy and trade."
The governments of Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and South Korea joined the United States and the United Kingdom in issuing a statement saying that while the intention is to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea, the allies will not hesitate to defend lives and protect commerce in the critical waterway.
(Inputs from agencies)
© Copyright 2023. All Rights Reserved Powered by Vygr Media.
