The US and Britain have launched missile strikes against more than a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen in response to the terrorist organization's “increase in attacks” on cargo ships.
American and British warplanes struck 18 Houthi sites in eight locations, targeting missiles, launchers, rockets, drones and air defense systems, 18 Houthi targets in the perimeter, a helicopter and other unmanned surface and underwater vehicles.
British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said RAF Typhoon jets carried out “precision strikes” aimed at weakening Houthi drones and launchers. He added that “it is our duty to protect lives at sea and preserve freedom of navigation.”
The Pentagon called the attacks “necessary and proportionate,” echoing President Joe Biden and other senior politicians’ repeated warnings that the U.S. would not tolerate Houthi attacks on commercial shipping.
The Houthis have carried out at least 57 attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November 19, and the pace has increased in recent days.
But the counterattacks by Britain and America do not appear to diminish the Houthis' campaign against shipping in the region, which the militants say relates to Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Clouds of smoke rise from a Houthi position following US and UK attacks in Sanaa, Yemen, on February 24, 2024. American and British warplanes carried out “necessary and proportionate strikes specifically on 18 Houthi targets in eight locations in Yemen,” the Pentagon confirmed
The joint operation targeted weapons caches, drones, air defense systems, radars and a helicopter, as well as other unmanned surface and underwater vehicles. Pictured: Smoke over Sana'a, Yemen on February 24, 2024
The US and Britain have launched missile strikes against more than a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen in response to the terrorist organization's “increase in attacks” on cargo ships. Pictured: Smoke rises over Sanaa in Yemen after the attacks
The U.S. and Britain launched the counteroffensive in response to an increase in Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, including a missile attack last week that set a cargo ship on fire.
U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said after the joint attack that the strikes were intended to “further disrupt and weaken the capabilities of the Iran-backed Houthi militia,” and vowed that the group would continue to retaliate for its attacks on the Shipping in the Red Sea will be expected in the sea and surrounding waters.
“The United States will not hesitate to take action when necessary to protect lives and the free flow of commerce on one of the world’s most critical waterways,” Austin said in a statement.
“We will continue to make it clear to the Houthis that they will face the consequences if they do not stop their illegal attacks, which harm Middle East economies, cause environmental damage and disrupt the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Yemen and other countries.”
Shapps issued a similar statement, saying the Royal Air Force aimed to “degrade” the Houthi weapons used in “their dangerous attacks” and thanked the “brave” military personnel who took part in the attack operation were involved.
“In recent days we have seen serious Houthi attacks on merchant vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, including against the British MV Islander and the MV Rubymar, forcing the crew to abandon ship,” Shapps said.
“It is our duty to protect lives at sea and preserve freedom of navigation.”
“As a result, the Royal Air Force conducted a fourth wave of precision strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen.” We have acted alongside our allies to continue to disarm the Houthi drones and launchers that they use to carry out their dangerous attacks to weaken.”
He added: “I would like to thank the brave British staff for their commitment.”
The US has carried out almost daily attacks against the Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, saying their attacks on shipping were in solidarity with the Palestinians as Israel attacks Gaza.
The Houthis' months-long attacks have continued and have disrupted global trade and increased shipping costs.
In response to increasing Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, the US and Britain carried out new strikes against Yemeni Houthi positions in the capital Sanaa
An aircraft takes off from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) during flight operations in the Red Sea, Jan. 22, 2024
There have been at least 32 US strikes in Yemen in the last month and a half; Some were carried out with Allied participation.
In addition, U.S. warships shot down dozens of incoming missiles, rockets and drones that targeted merchant ships and other naval vessels.
Earlier this week, the Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack on a British cargo ship and a drone attack on an American destroyer, and attacked Israel's port and resort city of Eilat with ballistic missiles and drones.
The group's strikes are disrupting the vital shortcut for Suez Canal trade, which accounts for about 12 percent of global shipping, and forcing companies to take a longer and more expensive route around Africa.
No ships were sunk nor crew members killed during the Houthi campaign. However, there are concerns over the fate of the UK-registered cargo ship Rubymar, which was rammed on February 18 and its crew evacuated.
The rebels' supreme leader, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, announced an “escalation of naval operations” by his forces last week as part of a pressure campaign to end Israel's war against Hamas.
Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said in a briefing Thursday: “We have certainly seen an increase in attacks by the Houthis over the last 48, 72 hours.”
Singh also acknowledged that the Houthis would not be deterred, telling reporters: “We never said that we have wiped all their capabilities off the map.”
“We know that the Houthis have a large arsenal.” They are very capable. They have sophisticated weapons and that’s because they continue to get them from Iran.”
U.S. Central Command released a photo on Feb. 23, 2024, of the M/V Rubymar, a Belize-flagged British bulk carrier, spilling oil in the Gulf of Aden after sustaining significant damage following an attack by Iran-backed Houthi terrorists had suffered on February 18, which caused an 18 mile long oil slick
British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps issued a statement saying the Royal Air Force aimed to “degrade” the Houthi weapons used in “their dangerous attacks” and thanked the “brave” military personnel involved in the operation
Earlier on Saturday, the US Central Command said the destroyer USS Mason shot down an anti-ship ballistic missile that was fired from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen towards the Gulf of Aden.
The Defense Department added that the missile likely targeted MV Torm Thor, a U.S.-flagged, owned and operated chemical and oil tanker.
The US strikes on the Houthis targeted more than 120 launchers, more than 10 surface-to-air missiles, 40 storage and support buildings, 15 drone storage buildings, more than 20 unmanned aerial, surface and underwater vehicles, as well as several underground storage areas and a few other facilities.
But while the Houthis say the attacks are aimed at stopping the war in Gaza, their targets appear to have become more random, endangering a vital waterway for shipping cargo and energy from Asia and the Middle East to Europe.
During normal operations, around 400 merchant ships transit the southern Red Sea at any time.
While the Houthi attacks actually only hit a small number of ships, the sustained attacks and near misses fired by the U.S. and its allies have prompted shipping companies to reroute their ships from the Red Sea.
Instead, they sent them across Africa via the Cape of Good Hope – a much longer, more expensive and less efficient passage.
The threats have also prompted the U.S. and its allies to launch a joint mission in which warships from participating nations will form a protective air defense umbrella for ships traveling between the Suez Canal and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
Scout team members carry Yemeni and Palestinian flags and posters with Yemeni Houthi leader Abdul Malek Bader AL-Den Al-Houthi and Houthi emblems at a rally in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on the outskirts of Sana'a on February 4, 2024, Yemen
Houthi supporters march in a rally in support of Palestinians on the outskirts of Sanaa, Yemen, on February 4, 2024, amid ongoing Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden
An elderly Houthi fighter operates a vehicle-mounted cannon during a rally in support of Palestine on February 4, 2024, on the outskirts of Sana'a, Yemen
In Thursday's attack in the Gulf of Aden, the Houthis fired two missiles at a Palau-flagged cargo ship called the Islander, according to Central Command. A European naval force in the region said the attack caused a fire and injured a sailor aboard the ship, although the vessel continued its journey.
Central Command launched attacks on Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen on Friday, destroying seven mobile anti-ship cruise missiles that the military said were poised to be launched toward the Red Sea.
Central Command also said Saturday that a Houthi attack on a Belize-flagged ship on Feb. 18 caused an 18-mile-long oil slick and warned the military of the risk of the ship's fertilizer cargo leaking.
The Rubymar, a British-registered and Lebanese-operated cargo ship, was attacked as it passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The missile attack forced the crew to abandon the ship, which was en route to Bulgaria after leaving the United Arab Emirates. According to a statement from the Central Command, more than 41,000 tons of fertilizer were transported.
Yemen's internationally recognized government has called on other countries and marine conservation organizations to quickly address the oil spill and avert “a significant environmental disaster.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.