The US and UK worked together to bomb Houthi targets in Yemen.
The Pentagon said that on Monday, the attacks hit eight places, including a place where weapons are kept underground and a place where Houthi group’s missiles and surveillance equipment are kept.
The Houthis, who are supported by Iran, have been attacking ships that they believe are connected to Israel and the West as they pass through the important Red Sea trade route.
The US and UK said they were trying to keep trade moving freely.
The Pentagon said they did more attacks on the Houthis that were fair and needed.
We want to reduce tensions and make the Red Sea calm again. But we want to tell the Houthi leaders that we will protect people and keep trade moving in the Red Sea. It’s an important waterway and we won’t ignore any threats.
The US has attacked Houthi targets in Yemen for the eighth time. This is the second time the UK and another country have worked together on a military operation, after they joined forces for strikes on 11 January.
The UK’s foreign secretary, Lord David Cameron, said that they have sent a strong message and will keep making it difficult for the Houthis to carry out attacks.
When asked if the attacks could make things worse in the Middle East, Lord Cameron said that it was the Houthis who were making things worse and he believed the previous attacks worked well.
He said the story the Houthis told about the attacks being connected to the war between Israel and Hamas should not be believed. The UK wants the fighting in Gaza to stop quickly.
Lord Cameron said the UK asked for a quick break from fighting to help people in need, and they hope it leads to a long-lasting and stable stop to the fighting. He said he will suggest a plan when he goes to the region this week.
The statement said that Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands supported the strikes.
The UK’s Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will speak in the House of Commons today about the decision to do more strikes. Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the opposition, did not know about the strikes before they happened. But this morning, he was seen going to the Cabinet Office for a private meeting.
Fighter planes from the USS Eisenhower attacked on Monday.
Four RAF Typhoon planes, along with two Voyager tankers, teamed up with the US forces, the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced.
“We used special bombs to hit many targets at two military sites near Sanaa airfield with our airplane. ” The MoD said that these places were being used to keep attacking ships in the Red Sea.
“Like the UK usually does, we carefully planned the strikes to make sure no civilians would get hurt. We also made sure to bomb at night to lower the risk even more,” the statement said.
Government minister Huw Merriman said to Sky News that the airstrikes will happen again if the Houthis keep attacking ships in the Red Sea.
The UK’s Defense Secretary, Grant Shapps, said that the strikes were done to protect themselves from the Houthis’ unacceptable attacks on ships.
“This action will make it harder for the Houthi group to cause problems and will weaken their ability to impact global trade,” he wrote on X.
Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey said his party is worried about the attacks by the Houthis in the Red Sea. They believe that limited strikes may be necessary, but it’s very important for Parliament to discuss and vote on the matter.
Houthi-controlled Al Masirah TV said that there were attacks in Sanaa, Taiz, and Bayda provinces in Yemen, including the al-Dailami air base near the capital Sanaa.
Ten days after the US and UK bombed the Houthis, they are still standing strong.
They keep shooting different things at ships near Yemen, and they accidentally hit a ship carrying Russian oil.
Under a new operation called Poseidon Archer, the US has attacked more targets after already attacking Houthi sites.
The Pentagon says that the missiles were destroyed right before they were going to be launched. Western intelligence recently said they think that about 30% of the Houthi’s missiles were damaged or destroyed.
The Houthis, who get help from Iran, want to keep attacking ships they think are connected to Israel, the US, or the UK.
These actions have made them very well-liked in their country, where many people have been suffering under their harsh rule.
Many people in the Arab world like the Houthis because they say they support Hamas and are against Israel with help from Iran.
Mr Sunak talked with US President Joe Biden earlier on Monday.
The White House said Mr. Biden and Mr. Sunak talked about attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels on ships in the Red Sea. The White House said they promise to protect ships, trade, and sailors from unfair attacks, and to allow ships to travel freely.
It said: “The president and prime minister talked about giving more help to the people in Gaza and keeping them safe. They also talked about getting back the people who are kept as prisoners by Hamas. ”
The Houthis started attacking ships that carry goods in November. They said they were doing this because of Israel’s military operation in Gaza.
Since that time, the group has carried out many attacks on commercial ships that go through the Red Sea, which is one of the busiest routes for ships in the world.
The US and UK started bombing many Houthi targets on January 11th.
The strikes, which were also backed by Australia, Bahrain, the Netherlands, and Canada, started because Houthi forces didn’t stop attacking the area even after being warned.