The United States and Britain carried out strikes on 18 Houthi targets at eight separate sites in Yemen on Saturday, in response to attacks by Iranian-backed rebels on shipping in the Red Sea, the Pentagon said.
AFP journalists present in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, heard loud explosions on Saturday.
A security source close to the Houthis, interviewed by AFP, for his part confirmed shortly after the reality of these American-British strikes.
The pro-Iran insurgents, whose stronghold is Sanaa, have promised to “respond to the US-British escalation with more sophisticated military operations against all hostile targets in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, in order to defend our country, our people and our nation,” according to a statement from Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree.
These joint air raids in Yemen were carried out with other countries that supported the operation: Canada, Australia, Bahrain, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand, according to a joint statement from the eight countries.
The Houthi rebels will “suffer the consequences” of their attacks in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, American Defense Minister Lloyd Austin warned on Saturday, shortly after the announcement of the strikes.
“The United States will not hesitate to take action, if necessary, to defend human lives and free trade,” added the Pentagon chief.
In addition to joint operations with Britain, the United States has carried out unilateral strikes against Houthi sites in Yemen and shot down dozens of missiles and drones in the Red Sea.
Earlier on Saturday, the US military Middle East Command (Centcom) notably announced that a US Navy ship had shot down an anti-ship ballistic missile “launched into the Gulf of Aden from areas of Yemen controlled by the Houthi-backed by Iran.
The missile “probably targeted the MV Torm Thor, a US-flagged and US-operated chemical tanker/tanker,” Centcom said on X on Saturday.
On Friday, the American armed forces announced that they had shot down three attack drones from Yemen’s Houthi rebels during the day in the Red Sea and destroyed seven anti-ship missiles positioned on land.
Typhoon fighter jets
In London, the Ministry of Defense confirmed the participation of the Royal Air Force in Saturday’s raids, specifying that four Typhoon fighter-bombers had been mobilized, as well as two tanker planes.
The British aircraft targeted “several targets” concentrated on “two sites”, said the British Ministry of Defense in a press release.
Other similar US-British raids on Yemeni territory have taken place in recent weeks, the first time on the night of January 11-12.
The UKMTO maritime security agency, run by the British Navy, said a ship in the Gulf of Aden 70 nautical miles (130 km) east of the port of Djibouti had reported in the night from Saturday to Sunday “an explosion near the ship” causing no damage or injuries.
“The ship is heading to its next port of call,” according to the same source.
Houthi rebels, who control large areas of Yemen, have been carrying out attacks on ships in the region since November. They claim to be acting in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel is waging a bloody war against Hamas in retaliation for the unprecedented October 7 attack on Israeli soil.
More than 45 Houthi attacks
“The more than 45 Houthi attacks on commercial and military vessels since mid-November pose a threat to the global economy, as well as regional stability and security, and demand an international response. Our coalition of like-minded countries remains committed to protecting freedom of navigation and international trade and holding the Houthis accountable for their illegal and unjustifiable attacks,” the eight allied countries said in their statement.
According to a message on X from British Defense Minister Grant Shapps, Saturday’s air raids represent Britain’s “fourth round of precision strikes” against the Houthis in Yemen.
In recent days, the Houthis had notably attacked two ships linked to British interests, including the Rubymar, targeted by a missile attack and which was losing fuel in the Gulf of Aden.