A Royal Air Force Eurofighter Typhoon FGR4 flies past the audience during the 2019 Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford, England, July 20, 2019. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Jennifer Zima)
The United Kingdom military launched strikes against targets of the Houthis (Ansar Allah) in Yemen on April 29 with United States forces, its defense ministry said, officially confirming that Britain has joined the ongoing operation against the Iran-backed group.
In a statement, the ministry said that the strikes targeted “a cluster of buildings” south of the capital Sanaa used by Houthis to manufacture drones, which the group uses to attack ships at sea.
The Royal Air Force sent Typhoon fighter jets to target those buildings, dropping precision bombs after dark following “very careful planning … to allow the targets to be prosecuted with minimal risk to civilians or non-military infrastructure,” the ministry added, noting that all warplanes returned safely.
The U.S. and the UK both launched strikes against the Houthis shortly after the group began carrying out attacks against Israel-affiliated shipping in response to the war on the Gaza Strip late in 2023.
Last year saw a steady decline in British strikes targeting Yemen. The confrontation in the Red Sea then came to a halt after a ceasefire was reached in Gaza in January.
The confrontation reignited in March with the Houthis resuming their attacks on shipping and U.S. President Donlad Trump ordered the U.S. military to launch a large-scale operation to deter the group. Since then, more than 1,000 strikes have hit Yemen, claiming the lives of nearly 300 people.
The UK Ministry of Defense said in its statement, that its latest attack on Yemen “was in line with long-standing policy of the UK government, following the Houthis initiating their campaign of attacks in November 2023, threatening freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, striking international ships, and killing innocent merchant mariners.”
John Healey, the UK’s defense secretary, said the strikes aimed to prevent further Houthi attacks, adding that a 55% drop in shipping through the Red Sea had caused regional instability and damaged the UK’s economy.
The ongoing U.S. operation is yet to deter the Houthis or degrade their military capabilities. The UK joining in will not likely change much.
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the anachronistic british can not resist trying to punish the righteous as an opportunist criminal might commits crimes to brag about later.
distant anglo cousins have gotten back together to wage colonial wars.
the uk, uncle sam’s little chihuahua😬