On the night of January 11-12, the United States, together with Great Britain and with the support of Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands, attacked a number of Houthi targets in Yemen, calling it self-defense and a response to the group’s ongoing attacks on international ships in the Red Sea. Read more about the situation in the Izvestia article.
What happened
The media reported the start of a military operation against the Houthis in Yemen on the night of January 12. The Al Arabiya TV channel reported that the United States and Great Britain began to strike areas of the country controlled by the movement. During the strikes, Washington used fighter jets and Tomahawk cruise missiles.
According to the Al Hadath agency, explosions were heard in the Yemeni capital Sanaa, and strikes were also carried out near the cities of Hodeidah and Damar. Footage of missile arrivals was shared on social networks.
US President Joe Biden later confirmed the attacks on the Houthis. He noted that the strikes were carried out by United States and British forces with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands.
He stressed that these strikes are a response to the “unprecedented Houthi attacks on international maritime vessels in the Red Sea,” which they carried out, including with the help of anti-ship ballistic missiles. In addition, he said, the attack was defensive in nature and was intended to send a signal to the enemy that allied countries would not tolerate attacks on ships in the Red Sea that impede shipping and trade through sea routes.
Sky News Arabia, citing a Pentagon source, reported that the strikes carried out by the United States and Great Britain reached their targets. He said the coalition hit drone production centers and weapons depots in Houthi-controlled areas in Sanaa and the port of Hodeidah. In total, about ten targets were attacked. Reuters also confirmed, citing American officials, that the strikes against the Houthis were carried out by planes, ships and submarines.
Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin later said the strikes were aimed at the group's military infrastructure – facilities associated with unmanned aerial vehicles, ballistic and cruise missiles, as well as coastal radar and aerial surveillance capabilities. He added that the United States will take follow-up action if necessary to protect American forces.
In turn, the head of the British Ministry of Defense, Grant Shapps, reported on the social network X that the UK carried out strikes on two Houthi military targets with four Typhoon aircraft. He noted that these actions were not just a necessity, but literally “a duty to protect ships and freedom of navigation.”
After the overnight attack ended, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called on the Houthis to take steps to reduce tensions and said the strikes by the US, UK and allies were carried out in self-defence. He also noted that the Royal Navy continues to patrol the Red Sea as part of the multinational Operation Guardian of Prosperity to deter further aggression by the group.
Reactions to attack
In response to the incident, Hussein al-Ezzi, Deputy Foreign Minister of the Ansar Allah government, said on his social media page X that the US and UK would pay a “heavy price” for the attack on Houthi territory in Yemen.
Also, the leader of the group, Abdel Malek al-Houthi, accused Washington and London of aggravating the situation in the Red Sea and said that Ansar Allah operations will continue until the fighting in the Gaza Strip stops.
Russia has requested a meeting of the UN Security Council in connection with the US and UK strikes on Yemen. An urgent meeting is scheduled to take place on January 12.
At the same time, political scientist and ex-journalist for The New York Times John Varoli expressed the opinion that Washington’s attack on the Houthis will trigger a series of consequences of this action, largely aimed at the president’s PR, but as a result the whole world will turn against the United States for global pressure on the world economy.
Varoli stressed that the United States cannot do anything in Yemen. They, together with Saudi Arabia, bombed this country for 10 years and achieved nothing. He predicts that there will be new attacks on the Houthis throughout the year, and they will respond to them and defend their homeland to the last.
Because of what happened, mass protests began in the United States. Thus, rallies started at the White House and in Times Square. The protesters demanded to bomb Yemen and end the operation in the Gaza Strip.
Yemen's Houthis have begun attacking ships in the Red Sea they say are associated with Israel, amid escalating conflict in the Middle East. The first report of such an attack appeared on December 3 on the UKMTO website. It was noted that on the Yemeni side, UAV activity and a possible explosion were recorded in the vicinity of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. On the same day, the US Navy destroyer USS Carney was attacked by drones and missiles fired from Yemen.
In this regard, Lloyd Austin announced the start of Operation Guardian of Prosperity in the Red Sea, carried out by the forces of the United States and a number of other states. Muhammad Ali al-Houthi, a member of the political council of the Houthi Ansar Allah movement, said that ships from countries that joined the United States coalition to protect the Red Sea would be attacked.
On December 29, a US destroyer intercepted a drone and an anti-ship missile off the coast of Yemen. They also clarified that no damage was caused to any of the 18 ships in the area.
On January 10, it was reported that Yemen's Houthis in the Red Sea launched a missile and drone attack on a US ship supporting Israel, forcing the US and UK navies to shoot down the projectiles in a major naval battle. It was noted that the incident occurred near the Yemeni port cities of Hodeidah and Moha. Ship captains in the area have been advised to report any suspicious activity.
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