After the warning left by the White House and Number 10 Downing Street, US and British forces began shelling several positions linked to Yemen's Houthi rebels.
The Houthis, who control much of Yemen, have targeted the Red Sea routes to show their support for the radical Palestinian movement Hamas in the war in the Gaza Strip.The rebel group has vowed to attack ships linked to Israel or bound for Israeli state ports, although many of the targeted ships have no connection to Israeli interests.
Attacks have disrupted international trade in the Red Sea, a key route between Europe and Asia that accounts for 15 percent of global maritime traffic.
It was the first attack by the US war machine against the Houthis in Yemen since 2016. On Thursday, the leader of the Houthis said any attack on the group would be met with retaliation.
Targets designated by the Americans and the British, who have been patrolling Red Sea waters since December, include the Yemeni capital Sanaa and the port city of Hodeidah, as well as the cities of Daez and Saada..
surgeryThe White House confirmed, It was conducted “successfully” and was a “direct response to the Houthis' unprecedented attacks against international shipping in the Red Sea”.. US President Joe Biden's office highlighted it as a “defensive” measure aimed at protecting international trade.
“These attacks are a clear message that the United States and our allies will not tolerate attacks against our troops and will not allow hostile actors to jeopardize freedom of navigation on one of the world's most important trade routes,” he stressed. .
There was also a note from the British Prime Minister's Office justifying the bombings. “The Houthis have long carried out dozens of unprecedented attacks on ships in the Red Sea,” the text said. According to the Houthis' military spokesman Yahya Sharia, the United States and the United Kingdom launched 73 strikes against different Yemeni provinces, killing at least five fighters and wounding six others.
“British-flagged ships and ships of many states have been the targets of these attacks. The attack on HMS Diamond on 9 January included several. Drones. The government estimates that the attacks will continue. If steps are not taken to stop them, number 10 continues.
“The military intervention was taken legally to strike carefully identified targets to effectively reduce the Houthis' capabilities and prevent further attacks.. Responding to Houthi attacks is necessary and proportionate and is the only viable means of dealing with such attacks.
Prime Minister's Statement @Rishi Sunak In attacks against Houthi military targets. pic.twitter.com/rhs4fdPKC5
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) January 12, 2024
“The UK is authorized to use force under international law when self-defense is the only viable means of dealing with an actual or imminent armed attack and the force used is necessary and proportionate. This is what happened.”Rishi Sunak's office added: “The government will notify the United Nations Security Council of measures taken under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter”.
Drones and missiles. The Houthis are the answer
Last Tuesday, three US destroyers, a British ship and the US aircraft carrier Dwight D. At least 18 of Eisenhower's fighters were shot down. Drones and three missiles launched by the Houthis from Yemen.
During his Middle East tour this week, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken issued a warning to Iranian-backed rebels. At the same time, the UN Security Council demanded an “immediate” end to attacks on maritime transport.
Even so, The Houthis launched another missile into the Red Sea on Thursday, prompting rumors of an imminent intervention by the US-led naval coalition..
At 2:30 a.m. (Sanaa time) on January 11, U.S. Central Command forces, in coordination with the United Kingdom and supported by Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and Bahrain, launched joint strikes against Houthi targets, reducing their ability to pursue Houthi targets. Their illegal and… pic.twitter.com/bR8biMolSx
US Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 12, 2024
This morning, rebels will fire cruise and ballistic missiles against US and British warships in the Red Sea in response to the bombings.. The data was provided to Spanish agency Efe by a Houthi source.
“Our country has been targeted for massive aggression by North American and British ships, submarines and warplanes, and there is no doubt that the United States and the United Kingdom will be prepared to pay a heavy price,” he asserted. Social Network X Houthi Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hussein Al Ezi.
Russia has called for a Security Council meeting
Moscow has now begun procedures in New York to convene an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council dedicated to the recent events in Yemen.. Steps announced by Russia's Permanent Mission to the Organization.
Rita Fernandez – Antenna 1
In turn, Iran's Foreign Ministry has “strongly” condemned the bombing of Houthi positions. “These attacks,” Iranian diplomatic spokesman Nasser Khanani responded, “are a clear violation of Yemen's sovereignty and territorial integrity and a violation of international law.”
The call for “restraint” came from Saudi Arabia, without any apparent statement of support or denial.
w/ international agents
“Hardcore explorer. Extreme communicator. Professional writer. General music practitioner. Prone to fits of apathy.”