The United States, along with British forces, launched a series of airstrikes on Thursday in Yemen targeting sites associated with Houthi rebels backed by Iran. The move marks a significant escalation in the U.S.’s involvement in the Middle East conflict, occurring concurrently with Israel’s war in Gaza. These airstrikes were a response to the continued attacks by Houthi rebels, who have been launching numerous drones and missiles into Red Sea shipping lanes.
President Joe Biden announced the military action, stating that U.S. forces, in collaboration with the United Kingdom and support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, successfully conducted strikes against Houthi targets. The strikes aimed to counter the Houthi rebels’ threat to the freedom of navigation in one of the world’s crucial waterways.
The international community, including Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom, expressed solidarity with the U.S. in a joint statement issued after the airstrikes.
The Biden administration has been attempting to confine the conflict in the Middle East to Gaza, but Iranian-backed groups across the region have intensified their attacks. President Biden justified the strikes, citing the unprecedented nature of Houthi attacks, including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles in the Red Sea.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who has been hospitalized since January 1, reportedly approved the strikes from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Despite criticisms of the delay in disclosing his cancer diagnosis, Austin played a significant role in planning and executing the attack, according to a senior Defense official.
The strikes targeted Houthi missile, radar, drone capabilities, crucial to their campaign against commercial shipping in international waters. A senior Biden administration official emphasized that the scale of the attacks was significant but precautions were taken to minimize the risk of collateral damage, including to civilians in Yemen. The goal was to degrade the Houthis’ ability to carry out what were described as reckless attacks.
The trigger for the U.S. military action was a major Houthi attack on Tuesday in the Red Sea, involving 20 drones and multiple missiles against U.S. navy ships. If not repelled by U.S. and British naval forces, the attack could have resulted in damage to U.S. ships and even the sinking of a commercial ship loaded with jet fuel.
United Kingdom Royal Air Force jets participated in the attack, with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak asserting the UK’s commitment to freedom of navigation and trade. The U.S. and its allies have been countering Houthi attacks, having intercepted more than 60 missiles and one-way attack drones since November 19.
The Houthis claim that their attacks are in response to Israel’s war in Yemen. These attacks have not only heightened security concerns but have also increased insurance costs for commercial ships using the Red Sea route, impacting trade routes between Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
While some have condemned the attacks, criticizing the lack of congressional approval and advocating for a resolution to the conflict in Gaza instead, the U.S. administration emphasizes the need to respond to the escalating Houthi attacks that pose a threat to international maritime activities. The situation remains tense, with the potential for further developments in the complex geopolitical landscape of the Middle East.