The American-led strikes came in response to more than two dozen Houthi drone attack.

The United States and five of its allies on Thursday carried out military strikes against more than a dozen targets in Yemen controlled by the Iranian-backed Houthi militia, in an expansion of the war in the Middle East that the Biden administration had sought to avoid for the past three months.

The American-led air and naval strikes came in response to more than two dozen Houthi drone and missile attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea since November, and after warnings to the Houthis in the past week from the Biden administration and several international allies of serious consequences if the salvos did not stop.

Airstrikes were carried out on Thursday against targets linked to the Houthi militia, including airports, military bases and weapon storage areas.

On Thursday night, President Biden called the strikes a “clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most critical commercial routes.”

In a statement, he warned: “I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary.”

But the Houthis have defied earlier American ultimatums, vowing to continue their attacks in what they say is a protest against Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.

More than 2,000 ships have been forced to divert thousands of miles to avoid the Red Sea, causing weeks of delays, Mr. Biden said. On Tuesday, American and British warships intercepted one of the largest barrages of Houthi drone and missile strikes yet, an assault that U.S. and other Western military officials said was the last straw.

Biden officials said they had telegraphed what was coming for weeks. But the strikes, they said, were meant more to damage Houthi capability and to hinder the group’s ability to strike Red Sea targets, rather than to kill leaders and Iranian trainers, which could be viewed as more escalatory.

The strikes hit radars, missile and drone launch sites, and weapons storage areas, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said in a statement. Pentagon officials said late Thursday they were still assessing whether the strikes were successful, and emphasized that they had sought to avoid any civilian casualties.

Thursday’s attack drew the United States more deeply into a conflict that ignited after Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7 and killed 1,200 people, according to Israeli officials. The Israeli response has so far killed more than 23,000 people in Gaza, according to health authorities there.

Some American allies in the Middle East, including the Gulf nations of Qatar and Oman, had raised concerns that strikes against the Houthis could spiral out of control and drag the region into a wider war with other Iranian proxies, such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Tehran-backed militias in Syria and Iraq.

But on Thursday, the United States decided to act. Britain joined the United States in the attack against the Houthi targets as fighter jets from bases in the region and off the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower struck targets with precision-guided bombs.

“The United Kingdom will always stand up for freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade,” Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement.

The Netherlands, Australia, Canada and Bahrain also participated, providing logistics, intelligence and other support, according to U.S. officials. At least one Navy submarine fired Tomahawk cruise missiles, the officials said.

The president called the response from the international community “united and resolute.” Bahrain was the only Arab nation to take part, and there were questions as late as Thursday afternoon whether the small kingdom would be willing to publicly acknowledge its role. In the end, it did.

The Houthi foreign ministry responded to the attacks with a statement that “the U.S. and U.K. must be prepared to pay a heavy price and face the serious consequences of their aggression.”

It was unclear whether the allied strikes would deter the Houthis from continuing their attacks, which have forced some of the world’s largest shipping companies to reroute vessels away from the Red Sea, creating delays and extra costs felt around the world through higher prices for oil and other imported goods.

The Houthis, whose military capabilities were honed by more than eight years of fighting against a Saudi-led coalition, have greeted the prospect of war with the United States with open delight. On Wednesday, before the strike, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the militia’s leader, threatened to meet an American attack with a fierce response.

“We, the Yemeni people, are not among those who are afraid of America,” he said in a televised speech. “We are comfortable with a direct confrontation with the Americans.”

Administration officials have sought to separate the Houthi attacks from the conflict in Gaza, and to cast as illegitimate Houthi claims that they are acting to support the Palestinians. The officials are emphasizing that difference so that they can try to contain a wider war even as they ramp up their targeted response to the Houthi attacks.

Houthi officials say that the sole goal of their attacks is to force Israel to halt its military campaign and to allow the free flow of aid into Gaza.

For the Biden administration, the decision to finally strike back at the Houthis was three months in coming. Despite the barrage of attacks from the Houthis, the administration had hesitated to respond militarily for a number of reasons.

There was a fear that strikes on Yemen could escalate into a tit-for-tat between American naval vessels and the Houthis and even draw Iran further into the conflict, officials said. On Thursday, Iran’s navy seized a vessel loaded with crude oil off the coast of Oman.

Top Biden aides also had been reluctant to feed the narrative that the Yemeni militia group had become so important as to warrant U.S. military retaliation. Several administration officials said that the United States was also wary of disrupting the tenuous truce in Yemen.

The Houthis, a tribal group, have taken over much of northern Yemen since they stormed the nation’s capital, Sana, in 2014, effectively winning a war against the Saudi-led coalition that spent years trying to rout them. They have built their ideology around opposition to Israel and the United States, and often draw parallels between the American-made bombs that were used to pummel Yemen and those sent to Israel and used in Gaza.

“They offer bombs to kill the Palestinian people,” Mr. al-Houthi said in his speech. “Does that not provoke us? Does that not increase our determination in our legitimate stance?”

Hundreds of thousands of people have died in airstrikes and fighting in Yemen, as well as from disease and hunger, since the conflict there began. A truce negotiated in 2022 has largely held even without a formal agreement.

U.S. and other Western officials said the continuing attacks by the Houthis left them little choice but to respond, and they will hold the Houthis responsible for the attacks.

We’re going to do everything we have to do to protect shipping in the Red Sea,” the U.S. national security spokesman, John Kirby, said at a news conference on Wednesday.

Mr. Biden authorized the strikes earlier in the week and Mr. Austin gave the final go-ahead on Thursday from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., where he is being treated for complications from prostate cancer surgery.

The administration briefed senior Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill earlier on Thursday that they planned to carry out strikes, a decision that generated bipartisan support.

The strikes came after weeks of consulting with allies. On Wednesday, Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was on the phone with his British counterpart, Adm. Sir Tony Radakin, to discuss the strikes, defense officials said.

Thursday night’s strikes were the biggest U.S. attack against the Houthis in nearly a decade. In 2016, the United States struck three Houthi missile sites with Tomahawk cruise missiles after the Houthis fired on Navy and commercial vessels. The Houthis’ attacks stopped afterward.


Antony Blinken, the U.S. secretary of state, met with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt in Cairo to discuss the situation of Palestinians in the war. Blinken has been traveling across the Middle East as part of diplomatic efforts to avert a broader conflict in the region.

The United States and its allies are weighing how to stop attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea after American and British officials said that their navies had intercepted one of the largest barrages yet of drones and missiles fired from an area controlled by the Houthis, an Iranian-backed group in Yemen.

Source:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2024/01/11/politics/us-strikes-houthis-yemen/index.html

nlfpmod
Seun
mukina2
justwise

More photos!

More!

More bombing!

More tears and protest.

It's escalating

Lol. Some nutters really miscalculated the USA+ their allies. Some on here even said they don't have the guts to hit houthis in Yemen.

The US have been telling these chaps to stop messing with the ships on that route but they never paid attention, they kept attacking and sending drones, or whatever. They were told off multiple times. This attack is another warning to put them off. We can't let terrorists do what they want. These are scruffy terrorists.

Unsurprisingly, the pro Hamas protesters turned a blind eye to the strikes by Houthi, now that US and its allies whacked houthis, there was a fuss against the strike in front of White House. You can see their hypocrisy. Lol
You want the world to sit back while terrorists do their thing, that's not on.

This is just the start. Any rag tag terrorists who wants to muck about would soon find out.
Victory to Israel!

Arab people are the same everywhere. The thing is, I don't know exactly what gives them mind for suicide. Starting a war that you obviously know that you can't win with a winning mindset is becoming very laughable. In this particular one, no UN will scream for help or ceasefire because it appears the UN itself is attacked.

Muhammad being an Arab started Islam with Arab mentality of taking over the whole world but got defeated halfway. So, I'm not surprised if history is about to repeat itself. But what I'm very sure of is that things are not normal after a war.

As for the man saying that these armies will pay with a big price for attacking their thrones in Yemen, I think he meant the kind of price that the Gazans are paying now (that is firing them with their expensive weapons).

Hope say they kill am?

U.s hit military facilities...not targeting civilian populations. Pro palestines want change narrative. If i was u.s i for allow terrorist take over middle east so they will learn.

Tomorrow, they will be carrying wounded children up and down and seeking the world's attention.

Unofficial WW4

There is no way this type of strikes can go without civilian casualties.
The terrorists brought it upon their people.
More response will still happen if these people keep misbehaving.

Hehehe.

USA no gree for terrorists and their sympathisers this year .

When you do anyhow,you see anyhow .

Truly the Houthis are the heroes of our time. They are proven to the world what they're capable of doing.

I expected the US/UK to take the fight to the Red Sea, fight the Houthis soldiers there and not taking your fighter jet to be bombing civilians sleeping at home.

If you have differences with your fellow man, fight him at the spot, going behind to fight his aged mother, wife and children is nothing but being coward.

The Houthis have been blocking any Isreali own ship from passing the Red Sea, I expected the US/UK to take the full fight to the Red sea and not to Yemen.

Now we all can see Israel is just a light weight fighter claiming heavy weight.

Botragelad:

Hamas terrorist are winning under the rubble. Go fight for them in Gaza! 😂

Bring fact that Israel is winning... For over 3months they just kept discovering new underground and bombing civilians. Hamas with restricted military access is causing zionist harm. Imagine if gaza had full access to military weapon you think Israel will be bombarding them.

Reason you gay.

Eaglepixel:


Bring fact that Israel is winning... For over 3months they just kept discovering new underground and bombing civilians. Hamas with restricted military access is causing zionist harm. Imagine if gaza had full access to military weapon you think Israel will be bombarding them.

Reason you gay.

Haha. Cope harder!
Your tears won't save Hamas!

Get yourself updated brother and leave sentiments. Even many western media have debunked this news since yesterday.

Botragelad:

Haha. Cope harder!
Your tears won't save Hamas!

Eaglepixel:


Your father will burn in hell if you refuse to respect our Prophet Muhammad S.A.W.

You're an idiot because you fail to learn and understand, you cast your ignorance openly. You think if we the Muslims should start a war in Nigeria we will not win. Learn fagg learn

which prophet Muhammad? Is it d one who killed so many innocent people? The one who spread Islam with war and stole so many land by killing people. That is his steps u Muslims are threading on till now. You are all war mongers. Very crazy of you people. Quran talked about d peace live of Jesus Christ. The way of Jesus Christ did not suit you people but nah footstep of Muhammed suit you. You can see this is stupidity. The world would have been peaceful if Muslims follow Jesus Christ footsteps in d quran

Let's preach love and not hate.

madridguy:
Get yourself updated brother and leave sentiments. Even many western media have debunked this news since yesterday.

Okay. Gaza is in ruins. How about that? Lol

Houthis just like Iran are brave people. Very sure they will retarliate.

The world is slowly sliding into war. Massive loss to Ukraine.

madridguy:
Truly the Houthis are the heroes of our time. They are proven to the world what they're capable of doing.

I expected the US/UK to take the fight to the Red Sea, fight the Houthis soldiers there and not taking your fighter jet to be bombing civilians sleeping at home.

If you have differences with your fellow man, fight him at the spot, going behind to fight his aged mother, wife and children is nothing but being coward.

The Houthis have been blocking any Isreali own ship from passing the Red Sea, I expected the US/UK to take the full fight to the Red sea and not to Yemen.

Now we all can see Israel is just a light weight fighter claiming heavy weight.

idiot u better open your eyes a d read very well. US never touch d civilians and u are already shouting they are attacking d civilians. How many of your family dey this terrorist country compared to US. And all come online condemning US. Stupid hypocrite. In your life, have u ever dream. Of visiting Yemen of all countries.

Houthis, let the Red Sea be!

Eaglepixel:


Bring fact that Israel is winning... For over 3months they just kept discovering new underground and bombing civilians. Hamas with restricted military access is causing zionist harm. Imagine if gaza had full access to military weapon you think Israel will be bombarding them.

Reason you gay.

by d time Isreal takes over d whole gaze, u will still be saying Isreal is not winning. The war in Gaza is not even about winning because Isreal mission is to correct things. Hamas is a match for d Isreal. This is a war against terrorism. U know isrealis were d original occupant of gaze before a judgment was passed and agreement was made dat make Isreal vacate Gaza in September 12,2005. This agreement was made in order to bring peace in d middle east. Still no peace. So Isreal is back to take up Gaza in order to defend his people from hamas attacks. You can see these people are bloody terrorist by numbers of underground tunnels. All d funds hamas supposed use for Gaza economic development instead hamas is using them to produce weapons of mass attack. Tell me who are terrorists here.

madridguy:
Get yourself updated brother and leave sentiments. Even many western media have debunked this news since yesterday.

nah hate for Isreal dey affect your judgment. People like you later run away from arguments when u later realize d truth. Aljazeera are shouting every minutes by d numbers of death casualties and u are here saying Isreal is not winning. Nothing dey even concern us here if they are winning or not. Terrorists are killing d innocent Nigerians every day and we refused to talk about and or condemn it. But we are here arguing on war happening several miles away.

Why shifting the goal post brother? Gaza will be rebuilt with time but let stay on the course.

Botragelad:

Okay. Gaza is in ruins. How about that? Lol

madridguy:
Why shifting the goal post brother? Gaza will be rebuilt with time but let stay on the course.

Yeah. Rebuilt, after Hamas terrorist have been wiped!

It is obvious you lack manner. This is an open forum for debate. Come out with a strong evidence and stop behaving like motor park tout. Stop being emotional and talk reality.

It is now very obvious that you are a coward that whenever your mate challenge you in a combat, you chicken out and go behind to fight his mother or sisters.

Gainman:
idiot u better open your eyes a d read very well. US never touch d civilians and u are already shouting they are attacking d civilians. How many of your family dey this terrorist country compared to US. And all come online condemning US. Stupid hypocrite. In your life, have u ever dream. Of visiting Yemen of all countries.

Stop sounding like a joker bro. Wiped Hamas? Same Hamas giving us update how they are wiping IDF woto woto. Let the IDF give us videos and pictures too of them killing Hamas.

Botragelad:

Yeah. Rebuilt, after Hamas terrorist have been wiped!