The US launched airstrikes in Yemen on Saturday night, with Pentagon officials claiming “numerous” Houthi weapons sites were targeted.
Al Mayadeen reported a total of 10 airstrikes in the capital, Sanaa, and in the Amraan province. The strikes were reported as “US-British aggression,” but it’s unclear if the UK was involved.
“The targets contained various advanced conventional weapons used to target military and civilian vessels navigating international waters throughout the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden,” a Pentagon official told ABC News.
The US strikes came after the Houthis claimed a missile attack on the Nevatim Airbase in southern Israel. The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, also said they shot down another US MQ-9 Reaper drone for the 12th time since November 2023.
The US began bombing Yemen in defense of Israeli shipping back in January, and the UK joined several rounds of airstrikes, but the campaign has done nothing to deter the Houthis, who continue to target shipping and launch attacks on Israel. The Houthis began the attacks in response to the US-backed Israeli genocidal war in Gaza and have said they would stop if there were a ceasefire.
From 2015-2022, the US supported a Saudi/UAE war against the Houthis, which involved heavy airstrikes and a blockade, and the Houthis only became a more capable fighting force during that time.
According to the UN, the war killed at least 377,000 people, with more than half dying of starvation and disease caused by the siege. A ceasefire between the Houthis and Saudis has held relatively well since April 2022, but new US sanctions are blocking the implementation of a lasting peace deal.
