By Al-Fassel | 2025-01-24

US strikes have stripped Yemen's Houthis of critical early warning capabilities, destroying a strategic radar installation and leaving the Iran-backed group vulnerable to follow-up military operations.

In a coordinated operation on December 30 and 31, US fighter jets hit multiple Houthi targets in Sanaa and along Yemen's Red Sea coast.

The strikes decimated a command-and-control facility and weapons production sites housing missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), commonly known as drones.

US forces also destroyed a coastal radar installation, seven cruise missiles and multiple one-way attack UAVs over the Red Sea, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM).

The targeted facilities were used in attacks against US Navy warships and merchant vessels in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden," it said.

Witnesses in Sanaa reported hearing "several strikes in different locations," AFP reported.

These strikes follow earlier US operations in June that destroyed seven radar installations within Houthi-controlled territory.

The strikes targeting radar installations and early warning capabilities "are part of a strategy to degrade Iran-backed Houthi efforts to threaten regional partners and military and merchant vessels in the region," the US military said.

The demolition of Houthi radar capabilities -- which had enabled the group to target commercial shipping and coordinate attacks -- has handed the US-formed coalition a decisive tactical edge in the Red Sea, military sources said.

With the loss of early warning systems, Houthi military installations are more vulnerable to attack, and US Navy operations are able to proceed with a higher level of security.

Maritime menace

The military strikes come at a critical moment, as Houthi attacks on international shipping have thrown Red Sea commerce into disarray.

About 15% of global seaborne trade passes through these waters, according to the International Maritime Organization.

Suez Canal traffic plunged 51% during the first quarter of fiscal year 2024-25, with transit revenues falling from $2.4 billion to $931.2 million compared to the same period last year, according to the Egyptian State Information Service.

The disruptions have had a massive impact on the economies of countries in the region and beyond, sending shipping costs soaring and straining global supply chains.

Major shipping companies have been forced to reroute vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, adding up to 25 days to journey times and increasing costs by up to $1 million per round trip between Asia and Europe, per Pole Star Global.