After Houthi members defied an ultimatum to halt their attacks on ships transiting the Red Sea, a US-led coalition launched more than a dozen strikes on the Yemeni force, reports The Wall Street Journal.
The objective of the strikes, carried out by US and British forces supported by Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, is to reduce the Houthi movement which the Iran-backed group said it launched in response to Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza.
In a statement from President Joe Biden, he highlighted the necessity to keep the sea route safe for commercial transport.
“These targeted strikes are a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most critical commercial routes,” President Biden said in a statement. “I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary.”
The coalition strikes early Friday morning “targeted radar systems, air defense systems, and storage and launch sites for one way attack unmanned aerial systems, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles,” said US Central Command, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East.
Houthi officials told The Wall Street Journal that they will not be deterred from action.
“This is a brutal aggression,” said Houthi official Nasr al-Din Amir. “They will undoubtedly pay its price, and we will not waver in our stance to support the Palestinian people, regardless of the cost.”
The Houthi attacks have hampered the transport of gas, oil, and various commercial goods, driving up shipping prices. “The strikes were needed to guarantee the freedom of navigation through a vital sea route,” said Nils Haupt, a spokesman for German container shipping company Hapag-Lloyd AG. “We will wait and see the effect before sending our ships back through.” (SFA)
