U.S. and UK carry out numerous strikes against Houthi bases in Yemen

The United States and the United Kingdom armed forces have carried out numerous strikes against Houthi bases in Yemen in response to the group’s attacks on ships in the Red Sea. They released a joint statement backed by 24 countries regarding their strikes:

“In response to continued illegal and reckless Houthi attacks against vessels transiting the Red Sea and surrounding waterways, the armed forces of the United States and the United Kingdom, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, conducted additional strikes against eight targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen,” the statement said. 

The Houthis are part of Iran’s “axis of resistance” against Israel, the U.S., and the wider West, as well as groups like Hamas and Lebanon’s Hezbollah movement.

The Houthis’ attacks have disrupted global shipping and propelled fears of global inflation. Yemen is a crucial region because it forms the eastern side of the ‘Gate of Grief,’ a 16-mile body of water that marks the entrance to the Red Sea, one of the most important shipping lanes in the world.

In response to the Houthis’ attacks, many shipping companies are taking a much longer route around southern Africa rather than traveling through the Red Sea.

The attacks have also raised concerns about what the situation in the Middle East will look like following the war. 

The Houthis claim to be targeting ships owned, flagged, or somehow tied to Israel; however, many of the vessels that have been attacked show no connection to Israel, according to BBC.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree vocalized the Houthis’ intentions to retaliate: “These assaults won’t go unpunished.”

In addition, the Houthis say their goal is to pressure Israel to halt their ongoing attacks on the Gaza Strip. 

It’s unclear how these tensions will continue to play out.