{"id":20633,"date":"2024-01-14T09:33:50","date_gmt":"2024-01-14T07:33:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/?p=20633"},"modified":"2024-01-14T09:34:26","modified_gmt":"2024-01-14T07:34:26","slug":"us-and-uk-launch-attacks-against-houthi-targets-in-yemen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/us-and-uk-launch-attacks-against-houthi-targets-in-yemen\/","title":{"rendered":"US and UK launch attacks against Houthi targets in Yemen"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><em>Updated on January 14, 2024<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The United States and the United Kingdom launched a series of airstrikes and missile attacks against Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen. The massive attacks were conducted using naval warships, fighter jets, and submarines as a retaliatory move against the Houthis, who have been attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Middle East command of the U.S. Air Force engaged in operations where it targeted more than 60 sites across 16 locations in Yemen. The strikes focused on various assets such as command-and-control nodes, munitions depots, launching systems, production facilities, and air defense radar systems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>U.S. President Joe Biden announced that American and British forces, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, conducted the attacks as an attempt to demonstrate that the U.S. and its allies would not tolerate the attacks by any militant group on the Red Sea commercial shipping routes. He added that the military actions were taken after failed diplomatic negotiations and careful deliberation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese 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,\u201d Biden said in a statement released by the White House.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He noted the attacks endangered U.S. personnel and civilian mariners and jeopardized trade, and he added, \u201cI will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\"><p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">On Jan. 11 at 2:30 a.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Central Command forces, in coordination with the United Kingdom, and support from Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and Bahrain conducted joint strikes on Houthi targets to degrade their capability to continue their illegal and\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/bR8biMolSx\">pic.twitter.com\/bR8biMolSx<\/a><\/p>\u2014 U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CENTCOM\/status\/1745647248866738322?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 12, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote> <script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said the airstrikes, which took place around 3 A.M. in Yemen, targeted \u201cradar systems, air defense systems, and storage and launch sites for one-way attack unmanned aerial systems, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>CENTCOM Commander General Michael Erik Kurilla said \u201cWe hold the Houthi militants and their destabilizing Iranian sponsors responsible for the illegal, indiscriminate, and reckless attacks on international shipping that have impacted 55 nations so far, including endangering the lives of hundreds of mariners, including the United States. Their illegal and dangerous actions will not be tolerated, and they will be held accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Houthis\u2019 spokesperson, Mohammed Abdulsalam, said on Friday there was no justification for the strikes and vowed to continue targeting ships heading for&nbsp;Israel&nbsp;\u2013 although he claimed navigation was \u201csafe and normal for all ships except for Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of the Israeli entity\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A member of the group\u2019s governing council, Mohammed Ali Al-Houthi described the attacks as \u201cbarbaric\u201d. Houthi sources claim that the attacks were conducted at 73 different locations, including some sites close to Yemen\u2019s capital Sana\u2019a. No civilian casualties have been reported by either side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Second wave of attack<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The U.S. and UK forces orchestrated a second attack on Houthi sites on January 13, 2024. The second wave of attacks targeted Houthi-controlled military targets in Yemen. U.S. Central Command said the \u201cfollow-on action\u201d on early Saturday against a Houthi radar site was conducted by the Navy destroyer USS Carney using Tomahawk land attack missiles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>U.S. President Joe Biden seemingly unilaterally executed the actions and ordered the strikes bypassing Congress. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin authorized the military attack in Yemen from a hospital, where he is recovering from medical complications related to his prostate cancer surgery.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/US-guided-missile-destroyer-USS-Carney.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"677\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/US-guided-missile-destroyer-USS-Carney.jpg?resize=1016%2C677&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Carney\" class=\"wp-image-20645\" style=\"width:842px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/US-guided-missile-destroyer-USS-Carney.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/US-guided-missile-destroyer-USS-Carney.jpg?resize=300%2C200&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/US-guided-missile-destroyer-USS-Carney.jpg?resize=768%2C512&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/US-guided-missile-destroyer-USS-Carney.jpg?resize=589%2C392&amp;ssl=1 589w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/US-guided-missile-destroyer-USS-Carney.jpg?w=1460&amp;ssl=1 1460w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) fires an SM-2 missile during a live-fire exercise during Formidable Shield 19, May 17, 2019. (Image Credit: U.S. Navy)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Biden was asked about the attacks, as he left the White House to spend the weekend at Camp David, he said, \u201cWe delivered it privately and we\u2019re confident we\u2019re well prepared,\u201d he told reporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe will make sure that we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behavior along with our allies,\u201d Biden said. He also pushed back against some lawmakers, both Democrats and Republicans, who said he should have sought congressional authorization before carrying out the strikes. \u201cThey\u2019re wrong, and I sent up this morning when the strikes occurred exactly what happened,\u201d Biden said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Operation Prosperity Guardian<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The recent military operation is a part of Western countries\u2019 efforts to protect the Red Sea shipping lanes, the commercial maritime route vital for international trade and particularly for oil supplies to Europe, the U.S., and the rest of the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During his visit to the Middle East in December 2023, U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced a new U.S.-led joint operation military operation to protect the commercial shipping routes in the Red Sea. According to Austin, Operation Prosperity Guardian focuses on \u201csecurity challenges&nbsp;in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/US-UK-strikes-in-Yemen.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/US-UK-strikes-in-Yemen.jpg?resize=800%2C450&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"The United States and Britain conducted air, ship, and submarine strikes against Yemen\" class=\"wp-image-20632\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/US-UK-strikes-in-Yemen.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/US-UK-strikes-in-Yemen.jpg?resize=300%2C169&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/US-UK-strikes-in-Yemen.jpg?resize=768%2C432&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>The United States and Britain conducted air, ship, and submarine strikes against Yemen amid tensions in the Red Sea. (Image Credit: IRNA)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Operation Prosperity Guardian has brought together naval forces from multiple countries including the U.S., UK, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Seychelles, and Spain, to jointly address security challenges in the southern Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The operation is also a part of the U.S.\u2019s larger, Freedom of Navigation project that aims to protect commercial naval routes around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>World reaction<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Several Middle Eastern and global stakeholders have reacted to the U.S. and UK\u2019s joint military operation in Yemen. Spokesperson of the Iranian Foreign Ministry Nasser Kanaani&nbsp;said These attacks are a clear violation of Yemen\u2019s sovereignty and territorial integrity and a breach of international laws.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Iranian foreign ministry termed the attacks an \u201cextend the full support of the US and UK in approximately the past&nbsp;100 days for the war crimes of the Zionist regime against the Palestinian people and the besieged citizens of Gaza.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Saudi Arabia\u2019s foreign ministry called for restraint and \u201cavoiding escalation\u201d after the strikes and said it was monitoring the situation with \u201cgreat concern\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe kingdom emphasizes the importance of maintaining the security and stability of the Red Sea region, as the freedom of navigation in it is an international demand,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Turkey\u2019s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned the strikes and said the US and UK are \u201ctrying to turn the Red Sea into a sea of blood\u201d. He said that \u201call of these acts are disproportionate use of force,\u201d adding that \u201cIsrael also resorts to this disproportionate use of force in Palestine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-full is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Yemen-crisis-UN.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"690\" height=\"370\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Yemen-crisis-UN.jpg?resize=690%2C370&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8547\" style=\"width:840px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Yemen-crisis-UN.jpg?w=690&amp;ssl=1 690w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Yemen-crisis-UN.jpg?resize=300%2C161&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 690px) 100vw, 690px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>Young boys standing in front of damaged buildings in Saada, Yemen, where bombing has left many neighborhoods in the city are strewn with wreckage and debris following ground fighting between armed groups. (Image Credit: WFP\/Jonathan Dumont)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>NATO, which was not directly involved in the strikes, justified the U.S. and UK\u2019s attacks in Yemen by saying that \u201cthese strikes were defensive and designed to preserve freedom of navigation in one of the world\u2019s most vital waterways. The alliance spokesperson said \u201cHouthi forces are supported, supplied, and equipped by Iran. So, Tehran has a special responsibility to rein in its proxies,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Russia condemned the strike and termed the attacks as a violation of international law. Moscow said that the United States is wrongly taking advantage of the situation in the region. \u201cThe U.S. air strikes on Yemen are another example of the Anglo-Saxons\u2019 perversion of UN Security Council resolutions,\u201d said Maria Zakharova, the foreign ministry spokesperson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Zakharova said the strikes showed a \u201ccomplete disregard for international law\u201d and were \u201cescalating the situation in the region\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br><strong>Who are the Houthis?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Houthis, a Yemeni militia group, derive their name from their founder, Hussein Badreddin Al-Houthi, and advocate for the Zaidi branch of Shia Islam. Originating in the 1980s, the Houthis emerged in protest against Saudi Arabia&#8217;s religious influence in Yemen. With an estimated 20,000 fighters, officially known as Ansar Allah, the group controls the majority of the western part of the country and governs its Red Sea coastline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Iran supports the Houthis as part of its longstanding conflict with Saudi Arabia, and the Houthis are assisting Hamas in the Gaza war. Following the Hamas incident on October 7, Houthi leader Abdul Malik Al-Houthi declared that his forces were prepared to mobilize in the hundreds of thousands to stand alongside the Palestinian people and confront the common enemy.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Houthi-fighter-on-Galaxy-Leader-cargo-ship.jpg?ssl=1\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1016\" height=\"546\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Houthi-fighter-on-Galaxy-Leader-cargo-ship.jpg?resize=1016%2C546&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"A Houthi fighter stands on the Galaxy Leader cargo ship\" class=\"wp-image-20413\" style=\"width:841px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Houthi-fighter-on-Galaxy-Leader-cargo-ship.jpg?resize=1024%2C550&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Houthi-fighter-on-Galaxy-Leader-cargo-ship.jpg?resize=300%2C161&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Houthi-fighter-on-Galaxy-Leader-cargo-ship.jpg?resize=768%2C413&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Houthi-fighter-on-Galaxy-Leader-cargo-ship.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1016px) 100vw, 1016px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><em><sup>A Houthi fighter stands on the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea in this photo released November 20, 2023. (Image Credit: Houthi Military Media\/via Reuters)<\/sup><\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Shortly after Israel attacked Gaza, the Houthis initiated missile and drone assaults on vessels in the Red Sea. The majority of these attacks were thwarted by countermeasures deployed by the United States and Israel.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The United States and the United Kingdom launched a series of airstrikes and missile attacks against Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in Yemen. The massive attacks were conducted using naval warships, fighter jets, and submarines as a retaliatory move against the Houthis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20631,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[62,44,1,125],"tags":[75,6,286,372,26,356,5,113,536,7,61,365,114],"class_list":["post-20633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-europe","category-middle-east","category-news","category-united-states","tag-conflict","tag-defense","tag-fighter-jet","tag-houthi","tag-israel","tag-middle-east","tag-military","tag-security","tag-ships","tag-u-s","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-yemen"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/US-UK-air-naval-strikes-in-Yemen.jpg?fit=690%2C370&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7jJWb-5mN","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20633"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20633\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20648,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20633\/revisions\/20648"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20631"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ir-ia.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}