The United States and the United Kingdom carried out strikes on Saturday evening, February 24, targeting eighteen Houthi targets in eight separate sites in Yemen, in response to attacks carried out by these rebels supported by Iran against ships in Red Sea, the Pentagon announced.
Journalists from Agence France-Presse (AFP), present in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen, heard loud explosions on Saturday. A security source close to the Houthis, interviewed by AFP, confirmed shortly after the reality of these American-British strikes.
The pro-Iran insurgents, whose stronghold is Sanaa, have vowed 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 London, the Ministry of Defense confirmed the participation of the Royal Air Force in the 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”, the ministry said 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. Houthi rebels, who control large areas of Yemen, have been carrying out attacks on ships in the region since November 2023. They say they are acting in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel is waging a war against Hamas in retaliation for the unprecedented October 7 attack on Israeli soil.
British ships targeted
“The more than forty-five Houthi attacks on commercial and military vessels since mid-November 2023 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.
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 rebels in Yemen.
In recent days, the Houthis have notably attacked two ships linked to British interests, including the Rubymar, targeted by a missile attack and which is losing fuel in the Gulf of Aden.
