US and UK launch fresh air strikes against Houthis in Yemen

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The US and the UK launched a new round of military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in response to a string of recent attacks on commercial vessels transiting through the Red Sea.

The strikes were announced on Saturday in a joint statement by the US and the UK as well as other allies supporting the mission, including Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand.

The statement described the strikes as “necessary and proportionate”, hitting 18 targets in 8 locations that featured “underground weapons storage facilities, missile storage facilities, one-way attack unmanned aerial systems, air defence systems, radars, and a helicopter”.

The strikes are the latest in an effort by the US and the UK to crush the Houthis’ capacity to attack ships in the Red Sea, which they have been doing since November in response to Israel’s war in Gaza.

The strikes on the Houthis come as the US is trying to contain the risk of a broader escalation of tensions in the Middle East, but equally wants to protect its interests in the region. The US recently carried out strikes against Iran-backed groups in Syria and Iraq after three members of the US military stationed in Jordan were killed in an attack by one of the groups.

“The United States will not hesitate to take action, as needed, to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world’s most critical waterways,” Lloyd Austin, the US defence secretary, said in a statement. He added that the Houthis would “bear the consequences” if they “do not stop their illegal attacks”.

The Houthis have so far been undeterred by the strikes on their positions in Yemen. The latest military action by the US and the UK follows recent incidents including a February 22 missile attack that injured a crew member of the UK-owned Islander. On February 19, the US-owned Sea Champion was struck in a missile attack while delivering humanitarian aid.

On Monday the Houthis made their most damaging strike so far on a commercial ship with an assault on the Lebanese-owned dry bulk carrier, the Rubymar. The crew was forced to abandon ship after a missile struck near the engine room as the vessel navigated the Bab-el-Mandeb strait at the mouth of the Red Sea.

US Central Command on Saturday said that the deserted ship, which is taking on water, had created an 18-mile long slick of fuel. It also warned of the risk of further environmental damage from the ship’s cargo of 41,000 tonnes of fertiliser.

Much of the world’s commercial shipping has diverted away from the Red Sea and Suez Canal in response to the strikes, taking routes that add up to two weeks to each voyage between Asia and Europe.

The Houthis on Saturday claimed an attack on the Torm Thor, an oil products tanker flying the US flag. US Central Command said the USS Mason shot down the missile.