U.S. not interested in war in Yemen, White House says
John Kirby, White House National Security Council Coordinator (Photo: Getty Images)
The United States does not want war in Yemen, but in case of new Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, further actions will be taken, states the coordinator of the White House National Security Council, John Kirby.
"The United States 'is not interested in a war in Yemen or any form of conflict,'" notes Kirby.
He also warns that President Joe Biden would "not hesitate" if the Houthis continued to attack civilian vessels.
"Everything the president has been doing has been trying to prevent any escalation of conflict, including the strikes last night," adds Kirby.
He clarifies that the extent of the damage from the overnight strikes in Yemen is still being assessed in Washington.
Background
In recent months, Yemeni Houthi rebels have repeatedly targeted civilian ships in the Red Sea.
In response to such attacks, the United States and Britain launched missile strikes on targets associated with the Houthis.
Today, on January 12, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that militants had taken four Ukrainian sailors hostage.
As noted by the UK Defense Minister James Heappey, there are currently no plans for new strikes in Yemen.
