Fourth Wave Of American-British Strikes Targets Yemen As Houthis Announce Another Attack (Videos)

Click to see full-size image. (The U.S. Central Command)

Late on February 24, the United States and the United Kingdom carried out a series of strikes against the Houthis (Ansar Allah) in Yemen, the fourth such joint operation by the allies against the Iranian-backed group.

The Houthis, who control large swathes of Yemen including the capital Sanaa and much of the country’s Red Sea coast, have been targeting Israeli-affiliated vessels and others linked to the U.S. and the UK in response to the continuing Israel war on the Gaza Strip, which has so far claimed the lives of more than 29,000 Palestinians.

In a joint statement, the Pentagon said that the “necessary and proportionate strikes specifically targeted 18 Houthi targets across eight locations in Yemen associated with Houthi underground weapons storage facilities, missile storage facilities, one-way attack unmanned aerial systems, air defense systems, radars, and a helicopter.

“These precision strikes are intended to disrupt and degrade the capabilities that the Houthis use to threaten global trade, naval vessels, and the lives of innocent mariners in one of the world’s most critical waterways,” it said.

The statement added that “the Houthis’ now more than 45 attacks on commercial and naval vessels since mid-November constitute a threat to the global economy, as well as regional security and stability, and demand an international response”.

The strikes were carried out “with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand”, the statement noted.

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said that F/A-18 Super Hornets fighter jets from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier took part in the strikes.

Four Royal Air Force Typhoon fighter jets, supported by two Voyager tankers, also participated in the attack, the British Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

U.S. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin stressed after the strikes that America “will not hesitate to take action, as needed, to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world’s most critical waterways”.

Separately, UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said “it is our duty to protect lives at sea and preserve freedom of navigation”.

“That is why the Royal Air Force engaged in a fourth wave of precision strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen,” the minister added.

Yemen’s Al-Masirah TV, which is run by the Houthis, said that American and British strikes targeted a factory and other targets in Sanaa, the communication network in the province of Taiz and farmlands in the province of Hajjah. The strikes caused material losses. However, there were no reports of casualties.

Shortly after the strikes, the Houthis announced an attack on a U.S. oil tanker and U.S. Navy warships in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.

The attacks were in support of the Palestinians and a response to the U.S.-British “aggression” against Yemen, said Houthi military spokesman Brigade General Yahya Sarea in a statement.

The spokesman said that the attack targeted the U.S. oil tanker Torm Thor in the Gulf of Aden and several U.S. warships in the Red Sea with “appropriate naval missiles” and “unmanned aerial vehicles.”

The U.S. Central Command later said on the X social platform, formerly known as Twitter, that USS Mason, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, intercepted an anti-ship ballistic missile that was fired by the Houthis at the Torm Thor. Neither vessels were hit, according to the command.

The Houthis stepped up their attacks in recent weeks, targeting several Israeli, American and British ships and even shooting down a combat drone of the U.S. Air Force. The group’s recent attacks reflect the failure of the U.S. and its allies, who started this confrontation in order to support Israel and are now unable to end it.

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