DThe USA and Great Britain, with the support of other allies, “successfully” attacked Houthi rebel positions in Yemen on Friday night. This is a “direct response to the Houthis’ unprecedented attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea,” the White House said in a written statement from US President Joe Biden. It was said that there was support for the operation from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands. Biden said he “will not hesitate” if further measures against the Houthis are necessary.
Tomahawk fighter jets and cruise missiles were used in the air strike, US media reported, citing government officials. Meanwhile, Houthi circles and eyewitnesses in Yemen spoke of attacks on cities in the country.
According to US information, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels have carried out more than a hundred drone and missile attacks on ships in the Red Sea since the beginning of the war between Israel and the radical Islamic Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The Houthis see themselves as part of the self-proclaimed “Axis of Resistance” directed against Israel. In addition to Hamas, this also includes the Shiite Islamist Hezbollah militia in Lebanon.
The UN Security Council called for an end to attacks on ships on Wednesday. The Red Sea is a very important route for international trade.
Ten percent of world trade passes through the Red Sea
In recent days, Britain's Defense Secretary Grant Shapps has repeatedly warned of consequences if the attacks do not stop. According to media reports, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak therefore convened his cabinet for telephone consultations at short notice on Thursday evening. U.S. National Security Council communications director John Kirby warned Thursday that if the Houthis do not stop their attacks, they will face the consequences.
Around ten percent of all world trade passes through the Red Sea. The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean with the Red Sea, providing the shortest sea route between Asia and Europe. The alternative route around the South African Cape of Good Hope extends the transport by a few days.
The Shiite Houthi rebels have taken over large parts of Yemen's north in their uprising that has been ongoing since 2014, and they also control the capital Sanaa. The rebels are supported by Shiite-majority Iran.
Just a few days ago, the Houthis carried out a major attack using drones and missiles on ships in the Red Sea. As the responsible US regional command announced, 18 drones and three missiles were intercepted by US and British units.
“As far as we know, the attack was the most extensive attack by the Houthis on international shipping since mid-October,” a spokesman for the Foreign Office said in Berlin on Wednesday. “This attack and the other attacks, the ongoing attacks, show that the Houthis are clearly committed to escalation against international merchant shipping and against the ships of our partners and allies in the region,” he said.