War between Israel and Hamas: what do we know about American and British strikes against the Houthis in Yemen

This is the first response to the actions of the Houthis in the Red Sea. The United States and Britain carried out bombing raids overnight Thursday against Yemeni rebels who have been threatening international shipping in the Red Sea for weeks in a show of “solidarity” with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since the war between Israel and Britain began. Hamas October 7.

What were the American and British bombings?

The strikes targeted military targets in several cities controlled by the Houthis, according to a television channel for the rebel group, a member of the “Axis of Resistance,” a group of armed movements hostile to Israel and created by Iran that also includes Palestinian Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah. The capital Sanaa and the port city of Hodeidah, where AFP correspondents said they heard several explosions, were attacked, as well as Taiz and Saada.

“These targeted strikes send a clear signal that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our troops (and) will not allow hostile actors to jeopardize freedom of navigation along the world’s most important trade routes,” US President Joe Biden said.

The bombings were carried out using warplanes and Tomahawk missiles, some US media reported, with Washington saying it also had support from Australia, Canada, the Netherlands and Bahrain. For its part, London said it deployed four Typhoon FGR4 warplanes to launch laser-guided bomb attacks on the Bani and Abs sites from which the Houthis “launch” drones.

Why did they attack the Houthis?

The US-British operation was carried out “successfully” in “a direct response to the unprecedented Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea”, US President Joe Biden confirmed, referring to ongoing “defensive” actions to protect, in particular, international trade. . Following the war between Israel and Hamas, the Houthis have increased missile and drone attacks in the Red Sea since mid-November, forcing many shipowners to bypass the area, increasing transport costs and time between Europe and Asia.

The Houthis, who are close to Iran and control much of Yemen, have carried out 27 missile and drone attacks near the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait separating the Arabian Peninsula from Africa since November 19, according to the US army. They say they are targeting commercial ships they suspect are linked to Israel, saying they are acting in solidarity with the Gaza Strip, the scene of a devastating war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which governs the territory.

In response, the United States has already deployed warships and in December created an international coalition to protect maritime traffic in the area, through which 12% of global trade passes.

On Tuesday, 18 drones and three missiles were shot down by three US destroyers, a British ship and warplanes deployed from the US aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower. US diplomatic chief Antony Blinken, on a Middle East tour this week to try to stop the ongoing regional escalation of the war between Israel and Hamas, issued a warning to the Houthis while the UN Security Council demanded “immediate intervention”. put an end to their attacks. But this Thursday, the Houthis launched another anti-ship missile into the Red Sea.

“Lots of worry”

US President Joe Biden had already warned early on Friday that he would “not hesitate” to “take other measures” if necessary. “Despite repeated warnings from the international community, the Houthis continued to carry out attacks in the Red Sea (…) We have therefore taken limited, necessary and proportionate measures in self-defence,” said British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

“There is no justification for this aggression against Yemen, since there was no threat to international shipping in the Red Sea (…) and the targets were and will remain Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of occupied Palestine,” the Houthis wrote. spokesman Mohamed Abdel Salam at X (formerly Twitter).

“Our country is facing a massive attack from American and British ships, submarines and aircraft,” responded Houthi Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Al-Ezzi, as quoted by the movement’s media. “The United States and Great Britain must be prepared to pay a heavy price and bear the grave consequences of this aggression,” he threatened. Rebel leader Abdel Malek al-Houthi already this Thursday threatened to respond to any American attack in the Red Sea with even “more important” operations than the particularly difficult operation on Tuesday.

Overnight, Saudi Arabia said it was following developments in neighboring Yemen with “great concern” and called for “restraint and prevention of escalation.” Iran, for its part, “strongly condemned” the US and British strikes this Friday morning. For its part, Russia accused London and Washington of “escalation” with “destructive goals.”