US, UK launch retaliatory strikes on Iran-backed Houthis following Red Sea assaults

PTC News Desk: In response to the Red Sea attacks, the United States and the United Kingdom have launched significant retaliatory strikes against the Iran-backed Houthi movement in Yemen. This marks the first such action against the group since their initiation of attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea late last year.

Witnesses in Yemen reported explosions across the country, confirming the airstrikes, while President Joe Biden, in a late Thursday statement, emphasised the readiness for further action if necessary. The strikes aim to convey a clear message that attacks on personnel and threats to freedom of navigation will not be tolerated, according to Biden.

The UK's Ministry of Defense stated that early indications suggest a setback to the Houthis' capacity to threaten merchant shipping. A Houthi official denounced the strikes as "American-Zionist-British aggression," confirming raids in various Yemeni cities. The ongoing strikes represent a significant escalation in the Israel-Hamas conflict in the Middle East since its eruption in October. US officials, speaking anonymously, disclosed that the strikes involve aircraft, ships, and submarines, targeting over a dozen locations to weaken Houthi military capabilities.

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Despite international calls to cease missile and drone attacks on Red Sea shipping routes, the Houthis continued their assaults, justifying them as support for the Palestinian group Hamas. Israel, in response to Hamas' October 7 attack, launched a military offensive in Gaza.

The Houthi attacks on 27 ships have disrupted global commerce on the crucial Europe-Asia route, constituting about 15% of the world's shipping traffic.Thursday's raids targeted various locations, including a military base near Sanaa airport, a military site adjacent to Taiz airport, a Houthi naval base in Hodeidah, and military sites in Hajjah governorate. Earlier in the day, the Houthi leader warned of a response to any US attack on the group. Despite their pledge to attack ships linked to Israel or bound for Israeli ports, several targeted vessels had no connection to Israel.

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Houthis' 27th attack: US military responds to anti-ship missile strike in Gulf of Aden

Overnight strikes follow the Red Sea assault; Biden emphasizes direct targeting of American ships; US and UK actions outside Operation Prosperity Guardian.

The US military reported on Thursday that the Houthis launched their 27th attack, firing an anti-ship ballistic missile into international shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden. This comes in the wake of the Houthi's largest attack on January 9 in the Red Sea, prompting US and British naval forces to intercept 21 Houthi drones and missiles. The US military characterized the January 9 incident as a complex attack.

In his statement, President Biden highlighted that the Houthis directly targeted American ships during these aggressive actions. The overnight strikes in Yemen unfolded just days after the Red Sea assault, escalating tensions in the region.

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Despite over 20 countries participating in Operation Prosperity Guardian, a US-led coalition safeguarding commercial traffic in the Red Sea, the recent US and British strikes occurred outside the defensive coalition's purview. President Biden acknowledged the support of Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands for the operation.

"The response of the international community to these reckless attacks has been united and resolute," emphasized Biden in his statement, underlining the collaborative effort against the Houthi aggression.

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(Inputs from agencies)

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