LONDON – The United States and United Kingdom have hinted they could take military action against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, after they repelled the largest attack yet on Red Sea shipping.
Carrier-based jets and warships shot down 21 drones and missiles launched by the Iran-backed group on Tuesday night.
The allies warned of “consequences” for such attacks. Asked about potential strikes in Yemen, UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Watch this space.”
The Houthis said they targeted a US ship providing support to Israel.
The have repeatedly claimed – often falsely – that they are attacking merchant vessels linked to Israel in protest at Israeli actions during the war in Gaza.
Tuesday’s attack was the 26th on commercial shipping in the Red Sea since Nov. 19, 2023.
The US military said Iranian-designed one-way attack drones, anti-ship cruise missiles and anti-ship ballistic missiles were launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen at around 9:15 p.m.
Eighteen drones, two cruise missiles and one ballistic missile were shot down by F/A-18 warplanes from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D Eisenhower, which is deployed in the Red Sea, and by four destroyers, the USS Gravely, USS Laboon, USS Mason and HMS Diamond.
HMS Diamond shot down seven of the Houthi drones using its guns and Sea Viper missiles, each costing more than £1m ($1.3m), a defense source said.
No injuries or damage were reported.
Later, Houthi military spokesman Yahya al-Sarea confirmed its forces had carried out an operation involving “a large number of ballistic and naval missiles and drones”.
“It targeted a US ship that was providing support for the Zionist entity [Israel],” he said.
“The operation came as an initial response to the treacherous assault on our naval forces by the US enemy forces,” he added, referring to the sinking of three Houthi speed boats and killing of their crews by US Navy helicopters during an attempted attack on a container ship on Dec. 31, 2023.
He added that the rebels would “not hesitate to adequately deal with all hostile threats as part of the legitimate right to defend our country, people and nation”.
Sarea also reiterated that the Houthis would continue to “prevent Israeli ships or ships heading towards occupied Palestine from navigating in both the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea until the [Israeli] aggression [on Gaza] has come to an end and the blockade has been lifted”.
A spokesperson for United Nations (UN) Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was “very concerned” because of the risks the situation posed to global trade, the environment and lives, as well as the “risk of the escalation of the broader conflict in the Middle East”.
The UN Security Council is expected to vote on a resolution on Wednesday evening demanding the Houthis stop targeting maritime traffic in the Red Sea. (BBC)
