US military forces, along with Britain and with the support of Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands, have successfully struck a number of targets in Yemen that were used by Houthi rebels to threaten freedom of navigation in one of the world's most important waterways. This was announced in a statement published on the White House website by US President Joe Biden, UNN reports.
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It is noted that these strikes are a direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks on international ships in the Red Sea, including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history.
These attacks have endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, and jeopardized trade and freedom of navigation. More than 50 countries have been affected by 27 attacks on international commercial shipping. Crews from more than 20 countries have been threatened or taken hostage in acts of piracy. More than 2,000 ships have been forced to divert thousands of miles to avoid the Red Sea, which can cause weeks of delays in food delivery times. And on January 9, the Houthis launched their largest attack to date, targeting U.S. ships directly
The U.S. President emphasized that today's defensive actions come after a large-scale diplomatic campaign and an escalation of attacks by Houthi insurgents on commercial vessels.
These targeted strikes send a clear message that the United States and its partners will not tolerate attacks on their personnel or allow hostile actors to jeopardize freedom of navigation on one of the world's most important commercial routes.
I will not hesitate to take further action to protect our people and the free flow of international trade, if necessary
CNN: US, UK strikes hit dozens of Houthi targets in Yemen12.01.24, 02:29