By Al-Fassel | 2024-01-25

In a fresh round of strikes aimed at protecting international shipping in the Red Sea from attacks carried out by the Houthis, the United States and United Kingdom targeted the Iran-backed group's weapon systems, officials said.

In the early morning hours of Wednesday (January 24), US forces struck and destroyed two Houthi anti-ship missiles that were aimed into the southern Red Sea and were prepared to launch, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said.

The missiles "presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the US Navy ships in the region," it said in a statement, adding that the missiles were destroyed in "self-defense."

Just before midnight on Monday, the United States and United Kingdom conducted strikes on eight Houthi targets in Yemen, with support from four allied nations, CENTCOM said.

"The targets included missile systems and launchers, air defense systems, radars, and deeply buried weapons storage facilities," CENTCOM said.

The strikes were "proportionate and necessary," Australia, Bahrain, Canada, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and United States said in a joint statement.

They come in response to the Houthis' continued attacks on international and commercial shipping and naval vessels transiting the Red Sea, it said.

"Shortly after taking these strikes, an additional Houthi target was struck by the US in self-defense, destroying an anti-ship cruise missile that was prepared to launch and which presented an imminent threat to vessels operating in the region," Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said.

The additional strike occurred "probably within 15 to 30 minutes of the main operation there," Ryder said.

Since November 19, the Houthis have launched attacks on at least 33 commercial vessels using a range of weaponry.

The Iran-backed group has used anti-ship ballistic missiles, close-range ballistic missiles, land attack cruise missiles, uncrewed aerial vehicles and unmanned surface vehicles to carry out its attacks, a senior defense official said.

The United States has carried out several rounds of unilateral strikes in self defense against the Houthis' threats on US and international vessels.

Monday's precision strikes were carried out and supported by a multilateral coalition that is "separate and distinct" from the 22-member Operation Prosperity Guardian security initiative, the US military said.

The strikes were intended to disrupt and degrade the Houthis' capabilities "to threaten global trade and the lives of innocent mariners," the joint statement said, describing the attacks as an "international challenge."

The strikes are "in response to a series of illegal, dangerous and destabilizing Houthi actions since our coalition strikes on January 11," it said, including anti-ship ballistic missile and drone attacks that struck two US-owned merchant vessels.

Monday's action "specifically targeted a Houthi underground storage site and locations associated with the Houthis' missile and air surveillance capabilities," the joint statement said.

Underground storage facility

The Monday night strikes were launched from air, surface and sub-surface platforms targeting eight locations, with "multiple targets" in some locations, a senior US military official said.

"We conducted the strikes with Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles, or TLAMs, and manned aircraft from the US Navy and the UK Armed Forces," the official said during a Monday Pentagon briefing.

"Precision-guided munitions were used to destroy the targets and also to minimize collateral damage," the official said.

In a post on X, Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree listed 18 strikes in Sanaa, al-Hodeidah, Taez and al-Bayda provinces but did not mention any casualties.

"We can tell you that we observed good impacts and effects at all eight locations, assessing that we did in fact destroy missiles, unmanned aerial systems, and weapons storage areas," the US official said.

The United States has the capability to locate and target Houthi weapon systems, the official added, noting that the decline in the number and the ferocity of attacks can be attributed to the reduction in the Houthis' capability to carry them out.

The strikes are "having the intended effect," the official said.

The underground storage facility was assessed to have more advanced conventional weaponry than the facilities targeted in previous strikes, the senior military official said.

"This would be the first time we struck a storage facility of this type in Yemen," the official confirmed.

International support

Aircraft from the Dwight D. Eisenhower and its carrier strike group took part in the Monday strikes, along with fighters from the United Kingdom.

"We're very satisfied that this coalition works well together and everybody in it does contribute," the senior military official said, adding that "we know we have the political support of an additional number of countries."

"Recognizing the broad consensus of the international community, we again acted as part of a coalition of like-minded countries committed to upholding the rules-based order," the joint statement said.

This includes "protecting freedom of navigation and international commerce, and holding the Houthis accountable for their illegal and unjustifiable attacks on mariners and commercial shipping," it added.

"Our aim remains to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea," it said, reiterating a warning to Houthi leadership against continued threats.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said the Houthis had carried out more than 12 attacks on shipping in the Red Sea since the first wave of joint strikes on January 11, AFP reported.

"These attacks are illegal. They are unacceptable," Cameron said.

"What we have done again is send the clearest possible message that we will continue to degrade their ability to carry out these attacks... (and) that we back our words and our warnings with action," he said in a statement.

Royal Air Force jets struck two military sites just north of Sanaa, "each containing multiple specific targets, which the Houthis used to support their attacks on shipping," British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said.

The government's initial evidence was that "all intended targets were destroyed," he said.

New Zealand on Tuesday announced it will deploy a six-member defense team to the Middle East as part of an international coalition to uphold maritime security in the Red Sea, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said.

Threat to shipping

The Red Sea is a vital artery for nearly 15% of global seaborne trade, including 8% of the world's grain trade, 12% of seaborne-traded oil and 8% of global liquified natural gas. Its security has been compromised by the Houthis.

Maritime traffic through the Red Sea has fallen by 22% in a month because of the Houthis' attacks on international vessels, European Union trade commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said Tuesday.

"These assaults, notably the unprecedented use of anti-ship ballistic missiles, have significantly disrupted the free flow of commerce and navigational rights in one of the globe's most critical waterways," the senior US defense official said.

Incidents of concern include the seizure of a Japan-owned vessel with a multinational crew, a missile strike on a Norwegian tanker transporting vegetable oil and an attack on a New York-bound vessel carrying US-owned jet fuel.

US military and merchant vessels also have faced persistent threats from Houthi missiles and UAVs, the official said.

Notable incidents include a January 14 attack on the USS Laboon and a barrage of nearly two dozen munitions on January 9 targeting US Navy and US-flagged merchant vessels, the official said.

US-owned vessels, including the M/V Genco Picardy and the M/V Gibraltar Eagle, were struck in mid-January.

"Increasing danger has led over 14 shipping companies to cease Red Sea operations, severely impacting global commerce and the economies of Egypt and Jordan," the official said.

Iran is a supplier of the Houthis and has provided equipment and training and expertise to other proxy organizations in the region, the official said, noting that it has been communicated that "we consider that activity to be unacceptable."

The official declined to speculate on any future operation.