Iran-backed Houthis warn of ‘serious consequences’ after US, UK strikes hit Yemen

Hours after the US and British militaries in Yemen launched air strikes in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen in a bid towards stopping attacks on ships in the Red Sea, the Iran-backed group threatened of serious consequences for both the countries.

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, a member of the Houthi supreme political council, said that the strikes on Yemen were “barbaric”, while Houthi deputy foreign minister, Hussein al-Ezzi, issued a dire warning, calling what he described a “blatant act of aggression” and threatening serious consequences for both the US and Britain. The strikes have also prompted international outrage, with Russia saying that the attack “showed a complete disregard for international law”.

The military targets included air defense and coastal radar sites, drone and missile storage and launching locations, they said.

In a statement on Thursday, US President Joe Biden said the strikes were meant to demonstrate that the US and its allies “will not tolerate” the militant group’s ceaseless attacks on the Red Sea. He said the move was made only after attempts at diplomatic negotiations and careful deliberation, news agency Associated Press reported. “These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea — including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history,” Biden said in a statement. He noted the attacks endangered US personnel, civilian mariners and jeopardised trade.

الضربات الأمريكية البريطانية همجية ارهابية وهي عدوان متعمد وغير مبرر ويعكس نفسية متوحشة
وتؤكد بهذه الضربات من جديد انهما همامن يدير العدوان على #غزة كما هي تديرها على #اليمن
وأنها تحمي الإرهاب الإسرائيلي كونها هي الإرهاب وإسرائيل جزء منه
ان ما قامت به اعتداء صارخ وغير مبرر…

— محمد علي الحوثي (@Moh_Alhouthi) January 12, 2024

The UK said that the overnight strikes against Houthi military targets were “an act of self-defence”. British Armed Forces minister James Heappey on Friday said that the country is not immediately planning further missions to strike.

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Friday that the country too provided personnel support to the US and UK in the strikes. There was “non-operational support from the Netherlands, Canada and Bahrain against targets tied to these attacks, to degrade Houthi military capabilities and protect global shipping”, said Biden. The governments of Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand and South Korea also joined the US and UK in issuing a statement, saying that while the aim is to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea, the allies won’t hesitate to defend lives and protect commerce in the critical waterway.

Houthis have carried out at least 27 attacks involving dozens of drones and missiles since November 19 last year, had warned that any attack by American forces on its sites in Yemen will spark a fierce military response.

Meanwhile, Russia said it has requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Friday to discuss the military strikes on Yemen.

The Houthis say their attacks on shipping routes in the Red Sea are a show of support for the Palestinians and Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, in its war against Israel. The Houthi attacks have disrupted international commerce, forcing international shipping to take the long route around South Africa to avoid being struck. The increase in delivery costs is stoking fears it could trigger a fresh bout of global inflation. The US has said that the operation against the Houthis sought to present the air strikes as part of an international effort to restore the free flow of trade in a key route between Europe and Asia that accounts for about 15% of the world’s shipping traffic.

With inputs from agencies

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