Yemen: US, Britain conduct more strikes against Houthi militants

According to sources, US and British forces launched attacks on over a dozen Houthi facilities in Yemen on Saturday. This was the most recent round of military action against the organization with ties to Iran that continues to target commerce in the area.

The Houthis, who rule over the most populated areas of Yemen, have been targeted by US strikes almost every day. They have stated that their attacks on shipping are in support of Palestinians as Israel bombs Gaza.

The Houthis’ attacks have disrupted international trade and increased shipping costs, but the strikes have not been able to stop them thus far.

The military attack was against eight different Houthi targets in Yemen, including air defense systems, radars, a helicopter, underground weapons and missile storage facilities, and air defense systems, according to a joint statement from the participating and supporting nations.

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The goal of the operations, according to US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, is “to further disrupt and degrade the capabilities of the Iranian-backed Houthi militia.”

“We will continue to make clear to the Houthis that they will bear the consequences if they do not stop their illegal attacks, which harm Middle Eastern economies, cause environmental damage and disrupt the delivery of humanitarian aid to Yemen and other countries,” Austin told the media.

The resumed airstrikes, according to an unidentified Houthi military source, are “a miserable attempt to prevent Yemen from providing support operations to the Palestinian people in Gaza.”

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Ballistic missiles and drones were used by the Houthis to target Israel’s port and tourist city of Eilat earlier this week. They also claimed responsibility for an attack on a cargo ship owned by the United Kingdom and a drone assault on a U.S. destroyer.

The group’s actions are forcing ships to take a longer, more costly detour around Africa in order to bypass the strategically important Suez Canal, which handles 12% of all marine traffic worldwide.

During the Houthi campaign, no ships have been sunk and no crew members have died. Nonetheless, there are worries regarding what will happen to the cargo ship Rubymar, registered in the UK, whose crew was evacuated when it was damaged on February 18.

According to the US military, when the Rubymar was struck, it contained about 41,000 tons of fertilizer, which might have spilled into the Red Sea and wreaked havoc on the ecology.

“To restore and safeguard freedom of navigation,” the European Union has sent a naval mission to the Red Sea.

Operation Prosperity Guardian is a parallel alliance led by the US with the goal of defending economic traffic against Houthi strikes.