Yemen’s Houthis vow response after US, British strikes

WASHINGTON - The United States and Britain launched strikes against 36 targets in Yemen on Feb 3, in the second day of major US operations against Iran-linked groups following

a recent deadly attack on American troops.

The strikes hit buried Houthi weapons storage facilities, missile systems, launchers and other capabilities the Houthis have used to attack Red Sea shipping, the Pentagon said, adding that it targeted 13 locations across Yemen.

It was the latest sign of spreading conflict in the Middle East since war erupted between Israel and Hamas after the

Palestinian militant group’s deadly assault on Israel on Oct 7.

“This collective action sends a clear message to the Houthis that they will continue to bear consequences if they do not end their illegal attacks on international shipping and naval vessels,” US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said.

Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said the US strikes “will not pass without a response and consequences”.

“The building I live in shook,” said Fatimah, a resident of Houthi-controlled Sanaa, adding that it had been years since she had felt such blasts in a country that has suffered years of war.

The Houthis did not announce any casualties. The Yemen strikes are running parallel to an unfolding US campaign of military retaliation over the killing of three American soldiers in a drone strike by Iran-backed militants on an outpost in Jordan on Jan 28.

On Feb 2, the US carried out strikes in Iraq and Syria against more than 85 targets linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and militias it backs, reportedly killing nearly 40 people in the first wave of that retaliation.

While Washington accuses Iran-backed militias of attacking US troops at bases in Iraq, Syria and Jordan, Yemen’s Iran-backed

Houthis have been targeting commercial ships and warships in the Red Sea.

The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, say their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians as Israel strikes Gaza. But the US and its allies characterise them as indiscriminate and a menace to global trade.

The violence has added to concerns of the potential for further escalation. Iran, a supporter of Hamas, has so far avoided any direct role in the conflict, even as groups it backs have entered the fray from Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Lebanon.

Professor Mahjoob Zweiri, director of the Gulf Studies Centre at Qatar University, does not expect a change in Iran’s approach even after the latest US strikes.

“They keep the enemy behind the borders, far away. They are not interested in any direct military confrontation, which might lead to attacks on their cities or their homeland. They will maintain that status quo,” he told Reuters.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the latest attacks on Yemen were “a flagrant violation of international law by the United States and Britain”, warning that the continuation of such attacks was a “worrying threat to international peace and security”.

The Pentagon has said it does not want war with Iran and does not believe Teheran wants war either. US Republicans have been putting pressure on President Joe Biden, a Democrat, to deal a blow to Iran directly.

Major shipping lines have largely abandoned Red Sea shipping lanes for longer routes around Africa. This has raised costs, feeding worries about global inflation while denying Egypt crucial foreign revenue from use of the Suez Canal.

The US has carried out more than a dozen strikes against Houthi targets in the past few weeks.

Mr Sarea, the Houthi spokesman, suggested in a statement on social media that the group would press on. “These attacks will not deter us from our ethical, religious and humanitarian stance in support of the resilient Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip,” he said.

Just hours before the latest major wave of strikes from the sea and air, the US military’s Central Command detailed other more limited strikes in the past day that included hitting six cruise missiles the Houthis were preparing to launch against ships in the Red Sea.

At around 4am in Yemen on Feb 4, the US military also struck a Houthi anti-ship cruise missile poised to launch.

Baghdad funeral

British Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said this was “not an escalation”.

“We have already successfully targeted launchers and storage sites involved in Houthi attacks, and I am confident that our latest strikes have further degraded the Houthis’ capabilities,” he said.

The US strikes in Iraq were the deadliest in years.

Hundreds of people attended a Baghdad funeral procession for 17 members of the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) killed in the strikes. The PMF is a state security force containing several Iran-backed armed groups.

Mr Hadi al-Ameri, a senior Iraqi politician close to Iran, said it was time to oust US forces, 2,500 of whom are in Iraq on a mission to help prevent a resurgence of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. “Their presence is pure evil for the Iraqi people,” he added.

Iraq and the United States in January initiated talks about ending the US-led coalition’s presence in the country.

Oman Foreign Minister Badr Hamad Hamoud Al-Busaidi said that “Oman has grave concerns over the continuous escalation in the region”.

In a statement, he criticised the effectiveness of retaliatory US attacks in Iraq and Syria, noting that “such actions compromise the region’s safety, stability, and efforts to tackle challenges like violence and extremism”. REUTERS