From Le Figaro
Published 34 minutes ago, updated 2 minutes ago
On December 20, a Houthi rebel helicopter harassed a cargo ship in the Red Sea. HOUTHI MILITARY MEDIA/Portal
These airstrikes, which took place shortly after midnight on Friday, are in response to repeated attacks by Yemeni rebels on merchant ships crossing the Red Sea.
American and British Air Force aircraft were deployed at around 12:30 a.m. Thursday night to attack targets linked to the Houthi rebels in Yemen, four American officials assured Portal. Tomahawk cruise missiles were also reportedly fired from ships and submarines operating in the region. Strong explosions were reported mainly in the port of Hodeida and in the capital Sanaa.
The Times newspaper had previously revealed that British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had approved such attacks. The attack was announced as “imminent.”
Since the Oct. 7 war began between Israel and Hamas, the Houthi rebels, who are close to Iran and control much of Yemen, have stepped up attacks in the Red Sea to impede international maritime traffic, claiming they would have acted there in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza.