US, UK launch retaliatory strike against Houthis in Yemen

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WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. and British forces on Thursday bombed more than a dozen sites used by Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, U.S. officials said, using warships, submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles and fighter jets in a massive retaliatory strike. Military targets include logistics hubs, air defense systems and weapons storage and launch sites, they said.

President Joe Biden said the attack was intended to show that the United States and its allies “will not tolerate” the armed group’s relentless attacks in the Red Sea. He said the United States and its allies took this action after attempts at diplomatic negotiations and careful consideration.

“These attacks were a direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks on international maritime vessels in the Red Sea, including the first use of anti-ship ballistic missiles in history,” Biden said in a statement. “These attacks endangered U.S. personnel, civilians and Seafarers and our partners endanger trade and threaten freedom of navigation.”

Associated Press reporters in the Yemeni capital Sanaa heard four explosions early Friday local time but saw no sign of warplanes. Two residents of Hodeidah, Amin Ali Saleh and Hani Ahmed, said they heard five powerful explosions in the western port area of the city, which sits on the Red Sea coast and is controlled by the Houthis. largest port city. Residents of the southwestern city of Taiz, near the Red Sea, also heard explosions.

The attack was the U.S. military response to the ongoing drone and missile attacks on merchant ships since the war between Israel and Hamas began.Just a week after the White House and many partner nations launched a coordinated military attack issue final warning The Houthis are required to stop their attacks or face potential military action. The officials confirmed the attack on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations. Earlier on Thursday, MPs were briefed on the planned strike.

The warning appears to have had at least some short-lived impact, as the attacks have been halted for several days.However, on Tuesday, Houthi rebels launched their largest ever drone and missile attack Targeting Red Sea shippingU.S. and British ships and U.S. fighter jets responded, shooting 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 sighted by a commercial ship but did not hit the vessel.

British Prime Minister Sunak said in a separate statement that the Royal Air Force carried out targeted attacks on military facilities used by the Houthis.

Pointing to a series of dangerous attacks on shipping by militants, he added: “This is indefensible.” He said the UK “joined the United States, with non-operational support from the Netherlands, Canada and Bahrain, to target countries with The targets involved in these attacks took limited, necessary and proportionate self-defense actions to weaken the Houthis’ military capabilities and protect global shipping.”

Since November 19, the rebels have launched 27 attacks, using dozens of drones and missiles. They said on Thursday that any U.S. attack on them in Yemen would trigger a fierce military response.

“The response to any attack by the United States will not be limited to the recent operation using more than 24 drones and multiple missiles,” the group’s top leader, Abdulmalik al-Houthi, said in an hour-long speech. Reaction.” . “It’s going to be bigger than this.”

The Houthis said their attack was Aiming to stop Israel’s war against Hamas In the Gaza Strip.But their targets have less or no connection to Israel endangering important trade routes Connecting Asia and the Middle East with Europe.

Meanwhile, the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution calling on the Houthis to immediately halt their attacks and implicitly condemning their weapons supplier Iran. The bill was passed by a vote of 11 to 0, with 4 abstentions from Russia, China, Algeria and Mozambique.

Britain’s involvement in the attack underscores the Biden administration’s attempt to use a broad international coalition to fight the Houthis rather than going it alone. More than 20 countries have participated in a U.S.-led maritime mission to strengthen ship protection in the Red Sea.

For weeks, U.S. officials have refused to say when international patience would run out and they would strike back against the Houthis, even as missile and drone attacks on commercial ships prompted companies to consider rerouting their ships.

On Wednesday, however, U.S. officials again warned of the consequences.

“I’m not going to send a telegram or predict anything that might happen,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters during a stop in Bahrain. He said the United States has made it clear that “if this continues like yesterday, there will be consequences. I’ll leave it at that.”

The Biden administration’s reluctance to retaliate over the past few months reflects political sensitivities and stems in large part from broader concerns that an uneasy truce in Yemen could be upended and trigger a broader conflict in the region. The White House wants to maintain the truce and has been wary of taking action in Yemen that could open another front.

However, the impact on international shipping and the escalating attacks prompted warnings from a coalition signed by the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore and the United States. kingdom. Separately, the United States called on the United Nations Security Council to take action against the Houthis and the Houthis. Warn their financiers Iran It could choose to continue providing support to the rebels.

The Red Sea transit from the Suez Canal to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is an important waterway for global commerce. About 12% of the world’s trade, including oil, gas, grains and everything from toys to electronics, typically flows through the waterway that separates Africa and the Arabian Peninsula.

In response to these attacks, the United States established a new maritime security mission called Operation Prosperity Guardian to strengthen security in the Red Sea, Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden, with some 22 countries participating. U.S. warships and warships from other countries frequently sail back and forth through the narrow strait, providing protection for ships and deterring attacks. The alliance has also stepped up aerial surveillance.

The decision to expand patrol operations comes after Three merchant ships were hit by missiles On December 3, the Houthi armed forces in Yemen launched a missile.

After Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, the Pentagon increased its military presence in the region to prevent Iran from expanding the war into a regional conflict that would include attacks by the Houthis and Iran-backed militia groups in Iraq and Syria.