The United States and Britain carried out another round of large-scale military strikes on Saturday against several sites controlled by Houthi militants in Yemen, US officials said.
The attacks were aimed at disrupting the Iranian-backed militants' ability to attack ships on sea routes crucial to global trade, a campaign they have been carrying out for nearly four months.
American and British warplanes hit missile systems, launch pads and other targets, the officials said. Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand supported the operation, according to a joint statement from the countries involved that the Defense Ministry emailed to reporters.
The strikes, which the statement called “necessary and proportionate,” hit 18 targets in eight locations in Yemen Houthi underground weapons depots, missile depots, unmanned aerial systems for one-way strikes, air defense systems, radars and a helicopter.
“These precision strikes aim to disrupt and weaken the capabilities the Houthis use to threaten global trade, naval vessels and the lives of innocent sailors in one of the world’s most critical waterways,” the statement said.
The strikes were the largest salvo since allied strikes on Houthi targets on February 3 and came after a week in which the Houthis fired attack drones as well as cruise and ballistic missiles at ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
In a statement to the Associated Press, the Houthis condemned “US-British aggression” and said they would not be deterred. “The Yemeni Armed Forces reiterate that they will counter the escalation between the US and the UK with higher quality military operations against all hostile targets in the Red and Arabian Seas to defend our land, our people and our nation,” the statement said.
On Monday, Houthi fighters fired two anti-ship missiles at a cargo ship, U.S. Central Command said in a statement. The ship, named Sea Champion, continued to its destination in the port of Aden, Yemen, the statement added. Central Command reported several other attacks between U.S. forces in the region and Houthis that day.
It was similar on Thursday. American warplanes and a ship belonging to a member of the U.S.-led coalition shot down six Houthi attack drones in the Red Sea, Central Command said in another statement. The drones “likely targeted U.S. and coalition warships and posed an imminent threat,” it said.
Later that day, the statement said, the Houthis fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles from southern Yemen into the Gulf of Aden, hitting the Islander, a Palau-flagged British freighter. The ship was damaged and one person was slightly injured.
And earlier Saturday, the Navy destroyer USS Mason shot down an anti-ship missile fired from Yemen into the Gulf of Aden, according to Central Command.
The Houthis say their attacks are a protest against Israel's military campaign in Gaza, which was launched in response to Hamas attacks in Israel on October 7.
U.S.-led retaliatory air and sea strikes against Houthi targets began last month.
“The Houthis' now more than 45 attacks on commercial and naval vessels since mid-November pose a threat to the global economy as well as regional security and stability and require an international response,” the US-led coalition said in a statement on Saturday .
In a separate statement Saturday evening, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said the Houthi attacks were “harming Middle Eastern economies, causing environmental damage and disrupting the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Yemen and other countries.”
The United States and several allies have repeatedly warned the Houthis of dire consequences if the volleys do not stop. But the US-led attacks have so far failed to deter the Houthis. Hundreds of ships had to take a long detour through southern Africa, driving up costs.
Of all the Iranian-backed militias that have escalated hostilities in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza, the Houthis have perhaps been the most difficult to contain. While the Houthis continued their attacks, Shiite militias in Iraq and Syria appear to be observing a period of calm since the United States launched a series of attacks on February 2 against Iranian forces and the militias they support in Syria and Iraq have.
Middle East experts say that after nearly a decade of dodging airstrikes in the war with Saudi Arabia, the Houthis have learned to conceal their weapons, placing some in urban areas and launching missiles from the back of vehicles to fire them before they run away.
– Helene Cooper and Eric Schmitt report from Washington