Shortly after the Houthis claimed responsibility for a series of strikes against cargo ships and boats passing through the Red Sea, the United States and the United Kingdom joined forces to carry out a retaliatory attack against Iran-based rebel group Houthis in Yemen.
The US and UK airstrikes, aimed at destroying Houthi base in Yemen, have further escalated the conflicts in the area in the midst of the Israel-Hamas war.
The US confirmed the attacks through a person who asked not to be named before a formal announcement. Both the port city of Al Hudaydah and the capital city of Sana’a, Yemen, have reported heavy explosions.
The airstrikes were meant to target a source of the extremist group’s attacks and came after the Biden administration warned of the consequences of an attack of drones and anti-ship missiles targeting ships in the vital trade waterway.
The airstrikes led by the US happened just hours after Secretary of State Anthony Blinken completed a multi-nation trip across the Middle East, intending to rally support for more aggressive action against the Houthis, as he insisted “there will have to be consequences” if the attacks at sea continued.
The attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea have caused major disruptions to the import-export chain in several nations, resulting in a negative impact on oil prices.