Threatened retaliation
USA reports new Houthi attacks in the Red Sea
January 13, 2024, 12:03 a.m
In response to the attacks by the USA and Great Britain on their positions, the Houthi militia is threatening retaliation – and is apparently serious. According to US information, the fighters are again firing rockets at ships in the Red Sea. According to US President Biden, we will “react accordingly”.
According to Washington, after the attacks by the USA and Great Britain on Houthi militia positions in Yemen, the Houthi fighters fired an anti-ship missile. “We know that they fired at least one missile in retaliation,” said US Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims in Washington. The missile did not hit any ship.
US President Joe Biden had previously announced further attacks against the Houthi rebels in Yemen if they did not stop their attacks on ships in the Red Sea. “We will ensure that we respond appropriately to the Houthis if they continue this egregious behavior,” Biden said during a visit to the US state of Pennsylvania.
The USA and Great Britain bombed 30 militia positions in Yemen on Friday night in response to weeks of attacks by the Houthi rebels on merchant ships in the Red Sea. Biden said there appeared to be no civilian casualties. The militia then threatened retaliation.
The Houthis launched the rocket and drone attacks in the Red Sea after the start of the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Palestinian organization Hamas on October 7, 2023. The Shiite rebels see themselves as part of the “Axis of Resistance” directed against Israel and supported by Iran, which also includes Hamas.
The Red Sea is an important international trade route. It connects the Indian Ocean with the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal, forming a central trade route through which up to twelve percent of world trade is carried out. Because of the Houthi attacks, many shipping companies have stopped or restricted traffic through the Red Sea and are diverting ships.