Houthis fire anti-ship missile ‘in response’ to US-British strikes in Yemen

Houthis fire anti-ship missile “in response” to the strikes by the United States and the United Kingdom on the positions of the rebel group in Yemen, General Douglas Sims of the American General Staff declared Friday, January 12, specifying that the missile had not hit any ship. The United States and the United Kingdom targeted thirty Houthi military sites, with a total of more than 150 strikes, he said.

US President Joe Biden, in his first public comment since the US strikes in Yemen, reiterated that he “would respond” if “the Houthis continue their unacceptable behavior”. Furthermore, he said ” think “ that the American strikes against the Houthis in Yemen had not caused any “civilian victims”arguing that “for this reason also [les frappes sont] a success “he said during a brief exchange with journalists while visiting a business in Allentown, Pennsylvania (in the northeast of the United States).

The American president, to whom journalists asked what message he had for Tehran after striking this rebel group that the Iranians support, retorted: “I have already sent my message to Iran. »

“All US-British interests have become legitimate targets”

Houthi rebels had threatened to retaliate against strikes carried out early Friday by the United States and the United Kingdom in Yemen, by attacking the interests of these two countries. “All US-British interests became legitimate targets for the Yemeni armed forces after the direct and overt aggression” against Yemen, the Supreme Political Council of the Houthis, a high authority of the rebels, warned on Friday in a press release.

American and British strikes, “73 raids”targeted military sites in Sanaa and in the governorates of Hodeida (west), Taiz (south), Hajjah (northwest) and Saada (north), the Houthi military spokesperson indicated earlier.

The Houthi movement is part of the “axis of resistance” established by Iran, which brings together groups hostile to Israel in the region, notably Lebanese Hezbollah and armed groups in Iraq and Syria. “This aggression (…) will not remain unanswered”said the Houthi spokesperson, declaring that five people had been killed and six injured among the rebels.

For Tehran, it is a “flagrant violation of the sovereignty” of Yemen

Iran on Friday condemned airstrikes carried out overnight by the United States and the United Kingdom against Houthi rebel targets in Yemen, denouncing a “blatant violation of sovereignty” from this country. These strikes responded to the increase in attacks on ships in the Red Sea carried out by Yemeni rebels supported by Iran who say they are acting in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel is waging a war against the Hamas movement.

In a statement, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani said “strongly condemned” attacks carried out by the United States and the United Kingdom against several cities in Yemen. After Friday prayers in Tehran, hundreds of people gathered in support of the Palestinian and Yemeni people, chanting slogans hostile to the United States, the United Kingdom and Israel, according to a journalist from Agence France-Presse (AFP).

State television broadcast images of similar protests in several other Iranian cities. She later showed footage of a protest outside the UK embassy in Tehran, where participants waved Palestinian and Yemeni flags. “Down with Israel”, “Down with the United States” And “Down with Britain”, chanted the demonstrators, burning the flags of the three countries, according to an AFP journalist. In Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, hundreds of thousands of demonstrators gathered against the American and British strikes.

UN calls to avoid “escalation”

United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called “all parties concerned to avoid an escalation of the situation in the interests of peace and stability in the Red Sea and the entire region”through its spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric during a press briefing.

At the request of Russia, the UN Security Council was to meet urgently on Friday afternoon on the subject. The Security Council adopted a resolution on Wednesday demanding an end to ” immediate “ Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea, also noting the right of member states to defend ships against such attacks.

“The Secretary-General reaffirms that attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea are unacceptable, jeopardize the safety and security of global supply chains and have a negative impact on the economic and humanitarian situation in the whole world “added his spokesperson.