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- Ruth Comerford and Frank Gardner, Security Correspondents
- BBC News
Video: Explosions and flashes near Yemen’s capital
The US and UK have carried out a new series of joint airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.
The Pentagon said Monday’s strikes hit eight targets, including underground storage facilities and Houthi missile and surveillance capabilities.
The Iran-backed Houthis have targeted ships they say have ties to Israel and Western countries that transit the vital Red Sea trade route.
He said the United States and Britain were trying to protect the “free flow of commerce.”
A joint statement released by the Pentagon confirmed “proportional and necessary additional strikes” against the Houthis.
The statement continued: “While our goal remains to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea, we would like to reiterate our warning to the Houthi leadership: We will not hesitate to protect human life and free commerce.” A vital waterway facing ongoing threats. ”
This is the eighth U.S. attack on Houthi targets in Yemen. This is the second joint operation with the United Kingdom, following the joint attack carried out on January 11.
Foreign Secretary David Cameron told reporters that Britain had sent a “clear message” that the Houthis’ ability to carry out attacks “continues to be diminished”.
Asked whether the airstrikes could increase tensions in the Middle East, Prime Minister Cameron said he was “confident” that it was the Houthis who were escalating the situation and that the airstrikes so far had been effective. “There is,” he said.
He added that the Houthis’ claims that the strikes were linked to the war between Israel and Hamas “should not be accepted” and that Britain wanted “an early end to the conflict” in Gaza. said.
Prime Minister David Cameron said the UK was calling for an “immediate humanitarian halt” and “hopes this will turn into a permanent and sustainable ceasefire”. He said he plans to propose it when he visits the area this week.
Video: We are sending the clearest message possible to the Houthis – Cameron
The joint statement said the attack was carried out with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands.
U.S. fighter jets from the aircraft carrier USS Eisenhower took part in Monday’s attack.
Four Royal Air Force Typhoons have joined US forces, supported by two Voyager tankers, the UK Ministry of Defense (MoD) said.
“Our aircraft used Paveway IV precision-guided bombs and attacked multiple targets on two military installations near Sanaa airfield. “It was used for this purpose,” the Ministry of Defense said.
“In line with standard UK practice, very rigorous analysis will be applied to the airstrike planning to minimize the risk of civilian casualties and, as with previous airstrikes, we will further reduce such risks. Therefore, our aircraft bombed at night,” he added.
Government minister Hugh Merriman told Sky News that if the Houthis continued to attack ships in the Red Sea, the airstrikes would “not be a one-off”.
British Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said the airstrikes were “self-defense” against “intolerable attacks” by the Houthis on commercial ships.
“This action, aimed at reducing the Houthis’ capabilities, will deal a further blow to their limited stockpiles and ability to threaten global trade,” he wrote to X.
It is understood that neither House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle nor Opposition Leader Sir Keir Starmer have been briefed on the new strikes.
Houthi-run Al-Masira TV reported airstrikes in Yemen’s Sanaa, Taiz and Baydah governorates, including al-Dairami air base near the capital Sanaa.
Ten days after the first carefully coordinated joint air and missile attack by the United States and Britain, the Houthis remain defiant.
They continue to fire a variety of projectiles at ships passing along Yemen’s coastline, and in one case accidentally targeted a ship carrying Russian oil.
Under the newly named Operation Poseidon Archer, the US-led offensive, which has previously carried out numerous pre-emptive strikes against Houthi launch sites, has achieved a new goal.
According to the Pentagon, these destroyed the missiles at the exact moment they were preparing to launch. Western intelligence recently estimated that at least 30% of the Houthis’ missile inventory has been destroyed or degraded.
But the Houthis, who are supported, trained and advised by Iran, are clearly bent on continuing attacks on vessels suspected of having ties to Israel, the US and the UK.
They have become hugely popular in the country, where many Yemenis are frustrated by the brutal rule.
The Houthis are also popular with many in the Arab world because they claim to support Hamas as part of an Iranian-backed “axis of resistance” against Israel.
This was announced after US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met on Monday.
In an official reading of the call, the White House said Biden and Sunak “discussed continued attacks by the Iranian-backed Houthis against commercial and naval vessels sailing in the Red Sea.”
According to the White House, the two leaders reiterated their “commitment to freedom of navigation, international commerce, and the protection of seafarers from unlawful and unjustified attacks.”
“The President and the Prime Minister discussed the importance of strengthening humanitarian assistance and civilian protection for the people of the Gaza Strip and securing the release of hostages held by Hamas,” it added.
In November, the Houthis began attacking commercial ships, claiming they were countering Israeli ground operations in Gaza.
Since then, the group has launched dozens of attacks against commercial tankers transiting the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
In response, the US and UK launched airstrikes against dozens of Houthi targets on January 11.
These attacks, also supported by Australia, Bahrain, the Netherlands and Canada, began after Houthi forces ignored an ultimatum to stop attacks on the region.
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