The United States and Britain conducted a series of air strikes on military locations belonging to Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen early Friday in response to the militant group's ongoing attacks on vessels in the Red Sea. Fox News reported that attacks targeted over a dozen Houthi locations using air, surface, and subsurface platforms. According to a U.S. defence official, the strikes received support from Australia, the Netherlands, Bahrain, and Canada, with the U.K. contributing aircraft.
US President Joe Biden stated that he authorised the strikes "in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea, including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history." Biden emphasised that these attacks endangered US personnel and allies and threatened freedom of navigation.
"These targeted strikes are a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world's most critical commercial routes," the President said. He also mentioned a willingness to direct further measures to protect people and international commerce.
The strikes occurred after the White House called a lid on President Joe Biden's engagements for the evening, indicating that he was not expected to discuss the matter publicly. This development followed the news that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had not notified the president or other officials of his whereabouts for several days while he was in the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center ICU.
In anticipation of the attack, Houthi forces reportedly transported some weapons and equipment while fortifying others, per a U.S. defence official cited by the Wall Street Journal. Local reports suggested that Houthi militants were evacuating the Red Sea city of Hodeidah.