In an alarming turn of events, the United States conducted additional strikes against Yemen’s Houthi forces on Friday, escalating tensions in the Red Sea region. This move comes after President Joe Biden’s administration pledged to protect shipping in the strategically vital waterway.
The latest strike, reported to target a radar site, follows a series of US and British strikes on Houthi facilities just a day earlier. The Houthi movement, backed by Iran, has been a significant player in the ongoing conflict in Yemen.
According to US officials speaking on the condition of anonymity, the strike aimed at a radar site is consistent with previous US military efforts to disrupt Houthi attacks in the Red Sea, with radar infrastructure being a key target.
The situation intensified on Friday when US and British warplanes, ships, and submarines launched missiles against various targets across Yemen controlled by the Houthi group. The maritime campaign, framed as support for Palestinians under siege by Israel in Hamas-ruled Gaza, raised concerns about a widening regional conflict.
Despite warnings and calls for restraint, the Houthi movement’s television channel, Al-Masirah, reported ongoing raids by the United States and Britain targeting the Yemeni capital, Sanaa.
President Biden, during a stop in Pennsylvania on Friday, warned that the US would respond if Houthi attacks on merchant and military vessels did not cease. “We will make sure that we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behavior,” he stated.
The Pentagon noted that the assault aimed to reduce the Houthi’s capacity to launch fresh attacks, targeting their ability to store, launch, and guide missiles or drones. The US military reported hitting 60 targets across 28 sites.
Amid the strikes, witnesses reported explosions near military bases in Sanaa and Yemen’s third city, Taiz. Additionally, naval bases in the main Red Sea port of Hodeidah and military sites in the coastal Hajjah governorate were targeted.
The Houthi response included vowing retaliation and denouncing the strikes as terrorism. The UK Maritime Trade Operations reported a missile landing in the sea around 500 meters from a ship, identified as a Panama-flagged tanker carrying Russian oil.
The Red Sea crisis is viewed as a part of the broader regional spillover of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. The Houthi movement, while portraying itself as a champion of the Palestinian cause, is primarily concerned with retaining power in Yemen.
The United Nations Security Council saw a defense of the strikes by US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, emphasizing the intention to disrupt and degrade the Houthi’s ability to continue reckless attacks against vessels and commercial shipping.
The situation has prompted fears of a broader regional conflict and raised concerns about the impact on oil prices. The price of Brent crude oil initially rose on fears of potential disruptions but later relinquished part of its gains. The strikes have already affected shipping, with commercial ship-tracking data indicating at least nine oil tankers altering course or stopping in the Red Sea.
As the situation in the Red Sea continues to evolve, the international community is closely watching, with the potential for further escalation and its impact on global geopolitics and energy markets at the forefront of concerns.
Dhairya Saraswat