The United States and the United Kingdom recently have launched missile, ship, and aircraft attacks against sites in Yemen that are affiliated with the Houthi Movement. The attacks occurred after the Houthis conducted their biggest raid on vessels in the Red Sea, which was one of 27 attacks of this kind since November 2023.
According to officials, 21 missiles and drones were shot down by US and UK warships earlier this week in the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the southern bottleneck of the Red Sea, after they had been launched at commercial boats and warships.
Recent Attacks From the US and UK
According to the Independent, the US claimed credit for hitting over 60 targets at 16 different Houthi locations, including radar systems, missile and drone storage and launch facilities, and Houthi command centers, according to the Pentagon. There were reports of strikes in many locations in Yemen, including the rebel-controlled capital, Sanaa, the Houthi stronghold in the northwest, Dhamar, and the Red Sea port of Hodeidah.
Meanwhile, the British Ministry of Defense (MoD) announced earlier this week that it had located critical facilities linked to the Houthis targeting US Navy vessels and HMS Diamond. The MoD also agreed to carry out a coordinated strike to hinder the Houthis' capacity to breach international law in this way. According to reports, two of these Houthi installations were targeted by fighter planes in a series of pinpoint attacks. Their plane zeroed in on a number of important targets at the airstrip and destroyed them.
More than 70 attacks were reported by the Houthis.
Who Are Houthis Attacking in the Red Sea?
Houthis are an armed faction among the Shia Muslim minority in Yemen, the Zaidis, who have received support from Iran. Hussein al-Houthi, the movement's founder, is the inspiration for its name. Since 2014, they have been engaged in a civil war with the government of Yemen.
Along with Lebanese groups Hezbollah and Hamas, the Houthis are seen by Iran to be part of an "axis of resistance" fighting Israel, the US, and the West more generally.
Israel bombarded Gaza to eliminate Hamas after the October 7 assault last year in the southern part of the nation killed 1,200 people and kidnapped 240. In the Hamas-controlled area, health experts believe the Israeli military campaign has killed over 20,000 people.
In a show of solidarity with the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis have announced that they would be attacking any ship passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait on its way to Israel.
A US-led naval coalition was formed at the end of last year to fight back against the Houthis' indiscriminate attack on commercial boats.
The Red Sea is one of the world's busiest maritime lanes, carrying between 12 % and 15% of all shipments. Because of the Houthis' attacks, many shipping firms have been compelled to reroute their vessels, opting for the longer route across Africa. Shipping via the Red Sea now costs more in insurance, which disrupts supply chains and might drive up final prices.
