Shortly after the Houthis claimed responsibility for a series of attacks against cargo ships and vessels passing through the Red Sea, the United States and the United Kingdom joined forces to undertake a retaliatory attack against the rebel group based in Iran in Yemen.

Amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, the US and UK’s airstrikes in Yemen to target Houthi facilities have intensified the fighting.

The US verified the strikes through a person who asked not to be named before a formal declaration. Both the port city of Al Hudaydah and the capital city of Sana’a, Yemen, have reported heavy explosions.

The Biden administration had threatened to impose penalties on the drone and anti-ship missile bombardment that had attacked ships in the crucial commercial canal. The airstrikes were designed to target a source of the militant group’s attacks.

Aiming to garner support for more aggressive action against the Houthis, Secretary of State Anthony Blinken concluded a multi-nation tour across the Middle East on Thursday. Hours later, he announced that “there will have to be consequences” if the attacks at sea continued.

The attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea have caused significant disruptions to the import-export chain in several nations, resulting in a negative impact on oil prices.

According to Bloomberg, the US government ordered the attacks, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gave the go-ahead. This follows a 1.6% opening-day rally by West Texas Intermediate to trade above $73 a barrel.

Houthi rebel attacks on the Red Sea

The rebel organization with its base in Iran took credit for several hijackings and attacks on cargo ships and other ships passing through the Red Sea and belonging to nations with ties to Israel.

In a show of support for their Palestinian friend Hamas, the Houthis declared that they would not stop attacking vessels that are connected to or headed towards Israel as a form of protest against the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Still, a few of the captured ships had no obvious connection to Israel.

The Houthi rebels were attacked after an oil ship off the coast of Oman was taken by the Iranian Navy on Thursday. Iran is now more closely involved in the Middle East’s maritime crisis as a result of that episode.

The US and UK have taken aggressive measures in response to the attacks on the Red Sea, which have had a major impact on several countries’ supply chains and oil prices.

SOURCE: https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/usuk-launch-massive-airstrikes-against-houthi-rebels-in-yemen-after-red-seai-shipping-attacks-101705019574947.html