US & UK Retaliate With Strikes On Yemen's Houthis After Iran-Backed Attacks

In a subsequent series of strikes aimed at further incapacitating Iran-backed militias that have been targeting American and international interests since the Israel-Hamas conflict, the United States and Britain attacked 36 Houthi sites in Yemen on Saturday. However, the U.S. refrained from directly targeting Iran, aiming to balance escalation and measured response.

The US Navy has supplied this photograph depicting an aircraft taking off from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) as part of flight operations in the Red Sea. Courtesy - Associated press

Recent attacks against the Houthis involved U.S. warships and American and British fighter planes. In response to a drone strike that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan, additional Iranian-backed militias and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard were targeted in an airstrike in Iraq and Syria.

Houthi locations in 13 different areas were struck by U.S. F/A-18 fighter jets, British Typhoon FGR4 fighter aircraft, and Navy destroyers USS Gravely and USS Carney firing Tomahawk missiles from the Red Sea. The Biden administration has indicated that more strikes are likely. The strikes focused on Houthis' weapons storage, missile systems, launchers, air defense systems, radars, and helicopters.

The Houthis have been conducting frequent missile or drone attacks against ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, expressing no intention to scale back despite pressure from the U.S. and Britain. The Defense Department stated that the strikes aimed at the deeply buried weapons facilities of the Houthis.

The latest strikes, supported by Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, conveyed a clear message to the Houthis about consequences if they continue their attacks on international shipping. The broader message is to hold Iran responsible for supporting various militias across the Middle East.

President Joe Biden was briefed on the strikes before his West Coast campaign trip. This marks the third joint operation by the U.S. and Britain against Houthi weapon launchers, radar sites, and drones. The Houthis' attacks have led to rerouting of vessels in the Red Sea, impacting shipping routes and necessitating a joint mission for protection.

In response to previous strikes in Iraq and Syria, there were mixed reactions from Iranian-backed militias, emphasizing both potential escalation and a desire to avoid widening regional tensions. Iraqi officials have called for the withdrawal of the 2,500 U.S. troops in the country as part of the international coalition against the Islamic State group, with talks underway to wind down the coalition's presence.