Fighter jets and cruise missiles
USA and Great Britain attack Houthi positions
January 23, 2024, 3:54 a.m
Container ships still avoid the Red Sea, where they risk being shot at by the Houthi militia. The USA and Great Britain are now taking renewed action against the positions of their Iranian allies in Yemen. It is the second military strike this month.
After the start of the Gaza war, the Houthi militia created a threatening situation in the Red Sea – and thereby endangered a shipping route that is important for world trade. Now the USA, Great Britain and allies are once again launching a coordinated counterattack.
The US and Great Britain, with the support of other allies, have again attacked Houthi militia positions in Yemen. Eight locations of the Iran-backed Houthis were attacked in a coordinated military strike, the allies said in a joint statement released by the Pentagon. The targets of the attacks included an underground weapons depot, missile systems and Houthi launch pads.
Since the beginning of the Gaza war between Israel and the Islamist Hamas, the militia has repeatedly attacked freighters with alleged ties to Israel. According to the Pentagon, there have been more than thirty ships since mid-November. Given the dangers, major shipping companies are increasingly avoiding the shortest sea route between Asia and Europe through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal. This is now having a significant impact on the global economy.
USA speak of successful operation
The stated goal of the USA and its allies is to weaken the military capabilities of the Houthis. A senior US Army official said the latest strike against the Islamist militants was believed to have been successful. According to him, Tomahawk cruise missiles and fighter jets were used. Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands supported with intelligence information and surveillance measures.
The joint statement said: “Our goal remains to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea, but let us reiterate our warning to the Houthi leadership: We will not hesitate to protect human lives and the free flow of the “To defend trade on one of the most important waterways in the world (…).”
This is the second coordinated military strike of this magnitude in just under two weeks. On the night of January 12th, there had already been a similar military action by the USA and Great Britain with the support of allies: At that time, almost 30 Houthi positions were attacked. In the days that followed, further independent attacks by the US military on Houthi positions followed. The militant Islamist group continues to attack ships in the Red Sea. Most recently, she claimed an attack on the US freighter “Ocean Jazz”. However, the Pentagon rejected this claim as false.