According to two defense officials, the US and UK conducted more strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen on Monday. This recent round of attacks by the US military on the rebels' infrastructure is the eighth in just over 10 days.
The recent joint operation by the US and UK targeted fewer than 10 sites. This is a smaller number compared to the previous operation on January 11, which had targeted over 30 Houthi targets. Fighter aircraft were deployed from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier as part of the strikes.
President Joe Biden had a conversation with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday, according to the White House. They discussed various topics, including security in the Red Sea.
On Monday, CNN shared that the US has given the ongoing operation in Yemen the name "Operation Poseidon Archer." This name choice indicates a more strategic and potentially extended approach to the operations in Yemen, which aim to prevent the Houthi group, backed by Iran, from attacking commercial ships in the Red Sea.
There have been a total of eight strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen since January 11, with the majority of them being conducted solely by the US military. According to an official, the initial round of strikes involved around 30 targets in Yemen under Houthi control, signaling the start of Operation Poseidon Archer by the US and UK.
The attacks have focused on neutralizing the Houthis' arsenal, including their attack drones, ballistic missiles, and cruise missiles, in an effort to hinder their capacity to threaten international shipping routes.
According to Deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh, there have been no recent attacks on commercial shipping by the Houthis since January 18. On Monday, the Houthis made a claim about attacking a US-owned cargo ship, the M/V Ocean Jazz. However, a defense official informed CNN that this claim was false.
Red Sea Tensions
In recent days, there has been a continuous series of allied attacks targeting Houthi missile launchers. US fighter jets and ship-based Tomahawks have been carrying out these assaults on a near-daily basis.
The military's growing capability to monitor, identify, and target militant activities in Yemen is evident in the swift response missions. These missions specifically target launchers that are armed and prepared to fire.
The ongoing cycle of attacks and counterattacks between the United States, its allies, and adversaries indicates that the Houthis remain undeterred in their efforts to target Red Sea shipping. This escalating situation raises concerns that the regional conflict, which the US has been striving to prevent for months, may be drawing nearer.
Over the past few months, there have been repeated incidents of ship attacks in the region's waterways. The perpetrators claim that these ships are either connected to Israel or en route to Israeli ports.
According to their claims, the attacks are intended to put an end to the Israeli air-and-ground offensive in the Gaza Strip, which was initiated by the Palestinian militant group Hamas' attack in southern Israel on October 7th. However, as the rebel assaults persist, the connections to the ships that were targeted have become increasingly uncertain, as per AP News.
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