US Launches Airstrikes on Iran-Backed Houthis in Yemen

The US military has launched strikes against multiple Houthi targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, a US official told CNN.

The strikes were from fighter jets and Tomahawk missiles.

Following warnings from the Biden administration and its allies that the Iran-backed militant group would face consequences for continued drone and missile attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, there has been a notable response. The strikes signal increasing global concern over the threat to one of the world's most vital waterways. Despite efforts to avoid direct strikes on Yemen due to the potential for escalation in an already tense region, ongoing Houthi attacks on international shipping have led the coalition to take action.

Congressional leadership was briefed on the US plans by senior administration officials on Thursday. The strikes occurred while Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is still in the hospital recovering from surgery for prostate cancer.

Despite carrying out strikes against Iranian proxies in Iraq and Syria during the war in Gaza, the US has now conducted its first known strike against the Houthis in Yemen. These strikes come at a time of heightened tension in the Middle East as the US seeks to prevent the conflict in Gaza from spreading to the broader region. The Biden administration had previously been cautious about targeting the Houthis, concerned that it could disrupt a fragile ceasefire between the militant group and Saudi Arabia that followed years of conflict.

However, the White House has unequivocally stated that the repeated Houthi attacks on international shipping lanes in the southern Red Sea are unacceptable. These attacks have compelled some of the world's largest shipping companies to avoid the waterway, forcing them to take longer routes around the continent of Africa, adding thousands of miles to international shipping routes.

Before the Thursday strike, Major General Pat Ryder, a spokesman for the Pentagon, stated that Iran had a responsibility to urge the Houthis to cease their "reckless, dangerous, and illegal activity." He warned that if they failed to do so, there would be repercussions.

Meanwhile, Houthi leader Abdul Malek Al-Houthi made a speech on Thursday, cryptically warning that any US attack on Yemen would not be left without a response. He hinted that the retaliation would be "much more" than the previous attacks on US ships at sea.

US warned of consequences

During his travels in the region on Thursday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken issued a warning, stating that "if it doesnt stop, there will have to be consequences. And unfortunately, it hasnt stopped."

During Blinken's trip to the Middle East, he emphasized that he does not view the conflict in Gaza as evolving into a regional war, although he cautioned about various potential risks. He also made a stop in Bahrain, where the US Naval Forces Central Command and the Fifth Fleet are based. One key objective of his visit was to reassure leaders in the region that any US military involvement against the Houthis would be in self-defense, not an escalation, as per a senior State Department official.

The Houthi rebels, an Iran-backed Shia political and military group engaged in a civil war in Yemen against a Saudi Arabia-backed coalition, have been launching drones and missiles at commercial shipping vessels in the Red Sea for weeks. The US Navy has intercepted and shot down many of these attacks. The rebels claim to be supporting Hamas' fight against Israel in Gaza, following an attack by Hamas on October 7.

The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution on Wednesday, led by the US and Japan, condemning Houthi attacks on merchant and commercial vessels and demanding an immediate cessation of such attacks. Eleven countries voted in favor, while China and Russia were among the four abstentions. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, there have been nearly 400 US airstrikes in Yemen since 2002. Despite this, the White House and Pentagon officials have expressed a desire to prevent the conflict in Gaza from expanding into the region. John Kirby, spokesman for the National Security Council, stated that the US is not seeking a conflict with the Houthis.

The US is concerned about taking direct action inside Yemen due to the risk of disrupting the truce brokered in the war between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia. This truce is considered one of the Biden administration's most significant foreign policy achievements. On January 3, the US and its allies issued a warning to the Houthis in a joint statement, cautioning them about the potential consequences of their actions on lives, the global economy, and commerce in critical waterways.

Houthi attacks continued

Nevertheless, the attacks have continued.

Shortly after the release of the joint statement, the Houthis used an unmanned surface drone to attack commercial shipping lanes for the first time. In one of their largest attacks to date, on Tuesday, three US Navy destroyers, Navy F/A-18s from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, and a UK destroyer, the HMS Diamond, successfully shot down 21 missiles and drones, causing no damage to ships or reported injuries. Additionally, the Houthis have made attempts to board commercial vessels, culminating in an incident when US helicopters sank three small Houthi boats attacking the Maersk Hangzhou on December 30, resulting in the deaths of the crews.

Since November 19, there have been a minimum of 27 Houthi attacks. In addition, there have been 131 attacks on US and coalition forces in Iraq and Syria since October 17, resulting in strikes on facilities associated with Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other proxy forces. The past week saw the US targeting a member of the Iranian proxy group Harakat al-Nujaba, identified as having "US blood on his hands" in Iraq.

The Houthi attacks began around the same time as the war in Gaza and were specifically aimed at ships affiliated with Israel. According to Norman Roule, a former national intelligence manager for Iran at the CIA, Houthi leaders have been boasting to their followers about conducting attacks against Israel and the United States in a bid to enhance their standing within the movement.

Many commercial vessels have not been linked to Israel. According to Vice Adm. Bradley Cooper, the commander of US Navy Central Command, the US believes that 55 nations have "direct connections" to the ships that have been targeted. This is a developing story and will be continuously updated.