The United States and the United Kingdom have launched a new attack on the Houthi rebels in Yemen, marking the fourth joint operation against the group. The operation targeted 18 “targets” in eight different locations, including underground warehouses storing missiles used by the Houthis to attack ships in the Red Sea.
According to a joint statement signed by the US, UK, and other supporting countries – Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand – the bombings also hit air defense systems, radars, and a helicopter. This comes in response to an increase in Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, including missiles launched at a British cargo ship and a US destroyer, as well as at the city of Eilat in Israel.
The first major retaliation against the insurgents for attacks in the Red Sea occurred on January 12 with 60 targets hit in Yemen. Since then, the US has carried out several separate attacks against the Houthis, targeting missiles posing threats to ships in the region.
The Houthis, an Iran-backed militia controlling parts of Yemen, claim their attacks are in retaliation for Israel’s offensive on Gaza, following an attack by Hamas in October 2023. With escalating violence raising concerns of a regional war, the impact on global maritime trade, with nearly 15% flowing through the Red Sea, is significant.