US, UK air strikes spark defiance in Yemen’s Houthis

In a defiant response to the recent joint air strikes carried out by the United States and Britain, Yemen’s Houthis declared on Sunday that the attacks “will not deter us.”

The strikes targeted dozens of Houthi locations in retaliation for the rebels’ repeated assaults on the Red Sea, backed by Iran.

The air raids, denounced by Iran, marked the third instance of collaboration between British and American forces against the Houthis, whose actions in solidarity with Palestinians in the conflict-ridden Gaza Strip have disrupted global trade.

The coordinated airstrikes, which took place late Saturday, were preceded by unilateral American strikes against Iran-linked targets in Iraq and Syria.

This retaliation followed a drone attack that resulted in the death of three US soldiers in Jordan.

Despite previous independent US air raids against the Yemeni rebels, their attacks on the crucial Red Sea trade route persisted, prompting the joint military action.

The statement released by the United States, Britain, and supporting countries indicated that Saturday’s strikes successfully targeted “36 Houthi targets across 13 locations.”

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin emphasized that the objective was to “further disrupt and degrade the capabilities of the Iranian-backed Houthis to conduct their reckless and destabilizing attacks.”

However, specific locations hit during the airstrikes were not disclosed in either Austin’s statement or the joint communiqué.

Yahya Saree, the Houthi military spokesman, revealed that the capital Sanaa and other rebel-held areas were among the targets.

Reporting a total of 48 airstrikes, Saree conveyed on the social media platform X that the attacks “will not deter us from our… stance in support of the steadfast Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip,” where the Israel-Hamas conflict has been ongoing since early October.

In response to the airstrikes, Saree warned that the Houthis would ensure the latest strikes “will not pass without response and punishment.” The situation remains tense as the conflict in the region shows no signs of abating.

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