The US has unleashed a new wave of attacks against Houthi targets in Yemen.
Friday's airstrike came a day after initial strikes on more than 60 targets used by the Iran-backed rebels to attack ships in waters near the Arabian Peninsula.
The second round of bombings was much smaller and targeted a Houthi radar facility, an official confirmed. This came after the Houthis fired at least one anti-ship missile on the same day.
Biden had vowed to continue the bombing if the Houthis refused to stop attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
But protests erupted in New York City after demonstrators swarmed First Avenue near the United Nations Yemen mission to condemn the attack.
The US carried out a new round of attacks against Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday, targeting a radar facility
Shortly afterwards, protesters came to the United Nations Yemen mission in New York to condemn the attack
The attack on the radar facility came after the Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile in retaliation for nighttime attacks by US and British forces on Thursday
The latest round of strikes was smaller in scale than the first wave on Thursday. Protesters gathered to demand an end to all strikes.
The official confirmed that the recent attacks were carried out unilaterally by the US.
Thursday's airstrike was a joint effort by the United States, Britain and other allied nations and hit more than 60 targets. They killed five people and injured six others, a Houthi military spokesman told CNN.
But U.S. officials determined that the additional site, a radar site, still posed a threat to maritime traffic, an official said.
President Joe Biden said Friday that American airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen had been a success, adding that he had sent a message to Iran.
“I don’t think there are any civilian casualties — that’s another reason it’s a success,” Biden told reporters traveling with him in Pennsylvania.
The White House said the airstrikes in Yemen, which is largely controlled by the Houthis, were in retaliation for months of attacks by the movement on shipping in the Red Sea, which the rebels viewed as a response to the ongoing war in Gaza.
However, their targets became increasingly random and caused disruption to global shipping channels.
Asked if he had a message for Iran, Biden said: “I've already conveyed the message to Iran.”
The president also noted that Tehran “does not want war with us” but said he was ready to bomb the Houthis again if they continued to attack American troops.
Biden had warned of further bombings if the Houthis did not stop their attacks on ships in the Red Sea. Pictured: A northern facility along the coast in Yemen on January 12, 2024, following airstrikes by the US and UK
“We will ensure we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behavior,” he said.
Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Sims II, director of operations for the Joint Staff, said joint U.S. and U.K. forces fired more than 150 munitions from sea and air platforms against more than 16 sites controlled by Iranian militants on Thursday.
“At this time, we continue to conduct a battle damage assessment on the various targets,” Sims said. “We are very confident about where our ammunition hit.”
The deliberate attacks, carried out with non-operational support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands, were estimated to have hit multiple targets at each location.
These targets included command and control nodes, ammunition depots, launch systems, production facilities, and air defense radar systems that the Houthis used to carry out attacks on ships operating in international waters.
“We know exactly what capabilities the Houthis used against the Red Sea and Bab al Mandab,” Sims said. “This was designed solely to achieve the capability that impedes international freedom of navigation in international waters.” “We're pretty confident we've done a good job of that.”
Biden was also criticized by members of his own party for failing to speak to Congress before carrying out the attacks
Thursday's large-scale attacks came after the Houthis carried out their 27th attack on a ship since November 19 by firing an anti-ship missile into the Gulf of Aden.
In response, the Houthis vowed to make the US and its allies “pay absolutely and without hesitation.”
President Biden was also criticized at home for failing to appear before Congress before carrying out the attacks.
There were also anti-war protests, including in Times Square in New York, where demonstrators called on the White House to stop the bombing, fearing it could escalate into all-out war.