The war in the Middle East has definitely expanded. The United States and the United Kingdom launched attacks this Thursday against targets in Yemen linked to the Houthi militias. This was the first major act of retaliation since these Iranian-backed groups began harassing merchant ships in the Red Sea in October.
In a statement, President Joe Biden noted that the attacks “are a direct response to unprecedented attacks by the Houthis on international merchant vessels in the Red Sea, including the first-ever use of anti-ship ballistic missiles.” “These attacks have targeted U.S. military personnel, endangering civilian seafarers and our partners and threatening trade and freedom of navigation,” he added.
According to the tenant of the White House, the 27 attacks by Yemeni rebel groups so far have affected ships from more than 50 countries. Crews from more than twenty countries were “threatened by piracy or taken hostage.” And more than two thousand ships had to deviate thousands of kilometers along other routes to avoid passing through the Red Sea.
“These millimeter strikes send a clear message that neither the United States nor our partners will tolerate attacks against our armed forces, nor will we allow enemy agents to threaten freedom of navigation on one of the world’s most vital routes,” Biden said warns that this Thursday's blow could be repeated: “I will not hesitate to order further measures to protect our population and free trade if necessary.”
According to sources in the country, rocket attacks by Western forces have even hit targets in the Yemeni capital Sanaa. They also hit Hodeida on the Arab country's west coast and about a dozen sites, some near cities with cultural and historical significance such as the city of Taiz in the center of the country. U.S. military commanders, who spoke on condition of anonymity, have suggested that this was a deterrent message, not a symbolic one.
A United States-led group of countries that militarily protects maritime traffic in these waters warned these groups early last week of serious retaliation if they continued the attacks, which have led to at least two dozen incidents in the last three months. Almost immediately, the militia began firing rockets and drones again.
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The British-American attacks also came after the UN Security Council passed Resolution 2722 on Wednesday ordering the Houthis to immediately stop their harassment in the Red Sea. These militias claim they are carrying out the attacks to force Israel to end its offensive in Gaza, which has already killed at least 23,000 Palestinians, in retaliation for attacks on its territory by the radical Palestinian militia Hamas on October 7. in which at least 1,200 Israelis died.
This Tuesday, British and American ships intercepted one of the Yemeni rebel group's largest waves of missile and drone launches to date. For the Pentagon and the White House, who had assured that there would be no second chance after the warning at the beginning of the year, it was the final straw that broke the camel's back. The President of the United States, Joe Biden, authorized the operation this Thursday.
Drone attacks by Houthi militias have sometimes forced shipping companies to look for alternative routes to the Red Sea, which accounts for 15% of global maritime traffic.
The attacks by British and American planes represent the entry into a new phase of the conflict in the Middle East and its expansion to other points outside the Gaza Strip. The very goal that the United States has achieved over the last three months through intensive diplomacy and a strengthening of its tried so hard to avoid military presence in the region. Secretary of State Antony Blinken completed his last tour of the region this Thursday, his fourth, in which he specifically tried to calm the situation and prevent the crisis from spreading.
American and British military aircraft took off from bases in the region towards Yemen to attack targets there. The aircraft carrier Dwight Eisenhower, also stationed in the area, took part in the missile launch. A US submarine fired Tomahawk sea-to-surface missiles. The projectiles hit drone and missile launch areas as well as arsenals and radar installations in various parts of Yemen.
According to U.S. military commanders, troops from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands also planned to participate to provide intelligence and logistical support, among other things.
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