DUBAI– Yemen’s Iran backed forces declared on Friday American and British interests were now legitimate targets after the Arab country faced overnight air strikes by the two Western powers following a series of attacks on Israeli linked ships in the Red Sea.
The bombardment was launched apparently in response to attacks on Israeli linked ships in the vital Red Sea by Yemen’s Houthi led Ansarallah fighters to force the Jewish state to end its brutal three month long war on Gaza that has killed nearly twenty three thousand Palestinians mostly women and children.
The U.S. military said the strikes took aim at more than 60 targets in 16 different locations across Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
Since November, the Yemeni fighters have repeatedly targeted Israel bound ships in the Red Sea, saying the strikes would continue till Israel ceases fire and allows humanitarian aid inside besieged Gaza.
Though the Biden administration has been stating publicly that it was trying to calm tensions in the Middle East and prevent any wider conflict, the strikes threatened to ignite one.
Saudi Arabia — which fought a devastating war against Houthis for six years and later decided to negotiate a truce — quickly sought to distance itself from the attacks as it seeks to maintain a delicate détente with Iran and a cease-fire it has in Yemen.
The Yemeni military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, said in a televised address that the strikes would “not go unanswered or unpunished.”
Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Al-Ezzi said that the US and UK would “pay a heavy price” for the “blatant aggression” against Yemen.
“Our country was subjected to a massive aggressive attack by American and British ships, submarines, and warplanes, and America and Britain will undoubtedly have to prepare to pay a heavy price and bear all the dire consequences of this blatant aggression,” Hussein Al-Ezzi said.
Another official, Abdulsalam Jahaf, went a step ahead, “Even if we turn into atoms scattered in the air, we will not leave Gaza.”
“Do the Americans, the British, and the Zionists expect that any hostile action against Yemen will distract us from defending Gaza? We will continue to target Zionist ships and those heading towards it. We will confront America, bring it to its knees, and destroy its battleships and all its bases, along with everyone who cooperates with it, regardless of the cost. We will not relent,” he wrote on X.
Anticipating a response, President Biden said he “will not hesitate” to order further military action if needed.
“These targeted strikes are a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation,” Biden said.
U.S. Air Forces Central Command said the strikes focused on the Houthi’s command and control nodes, munition depots, launching systems, production facilities and air defense radar systems. The strikes involved more than 100 precision-guided munitions including air-launched missiles and ship-and submarine-launched Tomahawk land attack missiles.
The Red Sea route is a crucial waterway, and Yemeni attacks and subsequent American military intervention there last month sparked widespread disruptions to global trade. Benchmark Brent crude oil traded up some 4% Friday at over $80 a barrel. Tesla, meanwhile, said it would temporarily halt most production at its German factory because of attacks in the Red Sea.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy acknowledged an attack days earlier on a ship in the far reaches of the Indian Ocean — an attack that may signal Iran’s willingness to strike vessels as part of a wider maritime campaign over the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Tehran on Thursday separately seized another tanker in tit for tat response to earlier seizure of an Iranian tanker by the US.
Meanwhile hundreds of thousands gathered for a rally Friday in Yemen’s capital, denouncing the U.S. and British strikes.
Yemen has been targeted by U.S. military action over the last four American presidencies. A campaign of drone strikes began under President George W. Bush, and the attacks have continued under the Biden administration. Meanwhile, the U.S. has launched raids and other military operations amid the ongoing war in Yemen to support the Saudi led campaign against Houthis.
Saudis, however called off their campaign as the Houthis maintain their grip on the territory they hold. In March, Saudi Arabia reached a Chinese-mediated deal to restart relations with Iran in hopes of ultimately withdrawing from the war.
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