In a joint operation Sunday night, eight countries, including the UK and US, launched air strikes against 36 targets linked to the Houthi rebels in Yemen. The strikes were made in response to the Houthis attacking ships they claimed were connected with the West and Israel as they passed through the crucial Red Sea trading route. RAF Typhoon jets from Cyprus were among the planes involved in the attack, which destroyed three sites in Yemen and had the aim of safeguarding innocent lives. The Ministry of Defence claims that its “careful intelligence analysis” uncovered two control stations for Houthi drones stationed in As Salif and Al Munirah, along with many targets in Bani.
While Houthis have been attacking shipping for several months, it is not seen as a significant escalation of the Yemen conflict. Also, the number of countries involved in the attack brought no new players to the conflict. Besides the UK and US, forces from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand supported the UK and US action. The air raids targeted the Houthis’ deeply buried weapons storage facilities, missile systems and launchers, air defence systems and radars. The countries involved are hoping that the air strikes will considerably raise the cost of the Houthi attacks on commercial and other vessels.
Three separate US air strikes hit Iran-backed targets in Syria and Iraq the night before the latest attacks in Yemen. The US argued that it had taken action against the Iranian-backed militia group blamed for recent drone attacks on the US military. The group denied playing any role in the attacks. Iran’s foreign ministry warned that the US move would result in instability and increased tensions in the area. Lord Cameron, the Foreign Secretary of the UK, has said Iran needs to take responsibility for its proxies, referring to the Houthis. The UK has sent a message to Iran that the continuous attacks on merchant vessels and the country’s support for the Houthis must end.
The Houthi rebels opened the attack on commercial vessels last year, declaring them as retaliatory attacks against Israel’s military ground operation in Gaza. Since then, the group has carried out numerous attacks on commercial tankers travelling the Red Sea shipping lane, making it one of the busiest lanes globally. The UK and the US’ first wave of airstrikes was made against the Houthis on 11 January, targeting dozens of Houthi connections during the operation. The primary goal of the operation was to minimize any risks to civilians
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