US and UK military once again struck Houthi targets in Yemen
USA and Britain have again targeted Houthi assets in the Red Sea (photo: Mate Airman/US Navy)
On Monday, January 22, the United States and the United Kingdom launched additional strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen. This marked the eighth round of military attacks on the rebels' infrastructure in more than 10 days, according to CNN.
The strikes conducted by the United States and the United Kingdom in Yemen have been named Operation Poseidon Archer. This indicates a more organized and potentially long-term approach to operations in Yemen aimed at restraining the group from attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea, which is allegedly supported by Iran.
Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh stated that since January 18, Houthi forces have not attacked commercial ships. On Monday, the rebels claimed to have attacked the American cargo ship Ocean Jazz, but a representative from the defense department informed CNN that this information does not align with reality.
Last week, Singh mentioned that, according to preliminary assessments by the Pentagon, the strikes against the Houthis have been very successful, destroying almost all the targets we struck, leaving one missile or less that the Houthis could then deploy in the Red Sea.
Attacks by Yemeni Houthi rebels and the Western countries' response
Houthi are a Shiite group formed in the 1990s to combat the corrupt government of Yemen. They derive their name from their founder, Hussein al-Houthi, who was eliminated by the Yemeni army in September 2004. The Houthis consider themselves part of the axis of resistance against Israel, the United States, and the West, led by Iran.
Since November 2023, the Houthi group has regularly attacked commercial ships in the Aden Strait and the Red Sea using drones, cruise, and ballistic missiles. The first attacks occurred immediately after the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in early October.
In response to numerous attacks, on January 12, the United States and the United Kingdom launched missile strikes on Houthi military targets in Yemen.
On January 17, the U.S. designated the Houthis as a global terrorist organization and the following day conducted further strikes on the group's positions.
However, the group continued its attacks on ships. On January 18, the Houthis targeted the American-flagged ship Chem Ranger, owned by the United States and operated by Greece, with anti-ship ballistic missiles.
The U.S. announced its intention to continue striking Houthi military targets in Yemen in case of further attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea.
Meanwhile, EU countries have agreed on a military operation against militants in the Red Sea.
