US and UK Strike Over 30 Houthi Targets in Yemen: Must-Know Details

The United States and the United Kingdom, with support from several other countries, have conducted extensive airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, hitting over 30 targets across 13 different locations. This joint operation, as stated in a release by the US, UK, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, was focused on dismantling the Houthis’ deeply entrenched weapons storage, missile systems, air defense systems, and radars.

The Houthis reported that the airstrikes, carried out by US and UK warplanes, targeted several provinces in Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa. In this coordinated effort, two US destroyers, the USS Gravely and USS Carney, launched Tomahawk missiles, and F/A-18 fighter jets from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier were also involved, as confirmed by US officials to CNN.

These strikes come in the context of the Biden administration’s commitment to a “multi-tiered” response to a recent drone attack that resulted in the deaths of three US service members and injuries to over 40 others. While the US aims to avoid escalating into a regional war with Tehran, these strikes represent a strategic approach to indirectly communicate with Iran’s leadership. Iran, known for supporting militant groups in the region, does not have direct control over these organizations, despite providing funding, arms, and supplies.

The nature of the strikes in Yemen, aimed at addressing ongoing Houthi attacks on international shipping lanes and US warships in the Red Sea, differs from those in Iraq and Syria. The latter were in retaliation for an attack on US troops. Nonetheless, both sets of strikes are directed at Iranian-backed groups in the Middle East, highlighting the broader geopolitical dynamics at play.