The United States and the United Kingdom have taken action against Houthi-controlled positions in Yemen following attacks by the Iran-aligned group targeted at US and Israeli interests in support of Palestinians. US Central Command (CENTCOM) also destroyed a Houthi antiship missile that was ready to be launched in the Red Sea. Houthi attacks on ships linked to Israel in the Red Sea prompted the US and UK response.
The Houthis have carried out numerous missile, drone, and boat attacks on commercial ships associated with Israel, as well as on military warships from the US and UK, aiming to stop Israel’s harmful activities in Gaza. The US attributed the killing of three soldiers in Jordan to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, and subsequently targeted armed groups linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iraq and Syria. The US led these attacks with support from several other countries.
The intention behind these strikes was to degrade the Houthis’ capabilities for conducting reckless and unlawful attacks on US and UK ships, as well as international commercial shipping in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden. The strikes aimed to deter further Houthi attacks on US interests in the region.
The specific locations targeted in Yemen were not disclosed by the US and UK, but the Houthi military spokesperson mentioned attacks on various areas, including the capital, Sanaa. The spokesperson warned that the attacks will not go unanswered and emphasized the group’s commitment to supporting the Palestinian cause. Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs criticized the attacks on Yemen, claiming they undermine international peace and security.
The US plans to conduct additional airstrikes against Iran-backed groups in the Middle East to demonstrate that it will respond to attacks on its forces. Houthi spokesperson Mohammed Abdulsalam warned that the US and UK actions will escalate tensions in the region and fuel the hatred of the Yemeni people. He urged the US and UK to consider the calls for an immediate halt to Israeli aggression and the lifting of the siege on Gaza.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is expected to prioritize humanitarian issues in Gaza during his upcoming visits to Israel, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the occupied West Bank. Meanwhile, negotiations between Israel and Hamas regarding the conflict in Gaza are ongoing, and talks are not anticipated to be disrupted by the recent Western attacks amid concerns of a wider regional escalation.
