US and UK strike 36 Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen to safeguard international trade
2:51 AM EST, February 4, 2024, updated: 4:23 AM EST, March 7, 2024
The joint statement confirmed that a fresh series of airstrikes on Houthi positions in Yemen were executed today.
US and British forces struck 36 targets across 13 locations. The American forces utilized over 24 aircraft to carry out the missions, as reported by Sky News.
The governments highlighted that the precise strikes were "proportional and necessary" to disrupt and degrade the Houthi's capacity to threaten international trade.
USA delivers a clear message
US Secretary of Defense and Pentagon chief, Lloyd Austin, stated that the strike was also backed by Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.
Austin further said in his statement: "This joint action sends an unequivocal message to the Houthi insurgents that they will bear further consequences if they do not cease illegal attacks on international shipping and warships in the Red Sea. We will not falter in defending lives and the free movement of commerce along one of the world's most vital waterways."
UK Defense Secretary, Grant Shapps, in his statement, asserted: "The Royal Air Force was involved in the third wave of attacks on Houthi military targets in Yemen. We acted in tandem with our US allies, garnering the support of numerous international partners, in the spirit of self-defense and compliance with international law."
Source: Sky News
