The US and UK have increased their joint air strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, with American officials stating that the strikes have hit eight targets, including an underground storage site and missile launchers. The strikes come a week after the US and UK launched their first retaliatory strikes on military facilities used by Houthi rebels in Yemen after their attacks on Red Sea vessels.
It is the second time the two allies have conducted retaliatory strikes on an array of the rebels’ missile-launching capabilities. The strikes have sparked concerns over a dramatic escalation of tensions in the Middle East.
There has been an increase in strikes in the Red Sea in recent weeks. This has prompted the US and UK to intensify their joint air strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. The strikes are in response to the Houthi rebels’ attacks on vessels in the Red Sea. The US and UK have used Tomahawk missiles launched from warships and submarines, as well as fighter jets, to destroy Houthi missile storage sites and launchers. This marks the second time that the two allies have carried out retaliatory strikes against the rebels’ missile-launching capabilities.
The strikes have sparked concerns over a dramatic escalation of tensions in the Middle East. The strikes mark the eighth by the US against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, but they are the second alongside the UK. US fighter jets from the carrier Eisenhower were reported to be involved in the strikes.
On Thursday, January 11, US and UK warships and jets launched a joint operation to attack over 60 targets across 28 locations. This was in response to a series of Houthi drone and missile attacks on commercial ships that have been ongoing since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October. This was the first military response from the US in relation to these attacks.
The Houthis have been targeting ships in the region’s waterways for several months. According to them, these ships are either connected to Israel or heading to Israeli ports. The rebels claim that their attacks are in response to the Israeli air-and-ground offensive that began after Hamas’s attack in southern Israel on October 7. However, the connections of the ships targeted in the rebel attacks to Israel have become more uncertain as the attacks have continued.
US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak spoke earlier today. The White House said: ‘The president and prime minister discussed the importance of increasing humanitarian aid and civilian protections for people in Gaza and securing the release of hostages held by Hamas.’
This is a developing news story; more to follow soon. Check back shortly for further updates.