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On January 10, the Houthis (Ansar Allah) in Yemen announced that they had attacked a United States that was “providing support” to Israel with a large number of missiles and drones.
Brigade General Yahya Sari, a spokesman for the Houthis, said in a statement, that the operation was an “initial response” to the December 31 U.S. Navy attack which claimed the lives of ten fighters of the group. Back then, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said navy helicopters destroyed three boats of the Houthis that attacked a commercial ship off Yemen’s Red Sea coast.
“The Yemeni Armed Forces confirm that they will not hesitate to deal appropriately with all hostile threats within the right of legitimate defense of our country, our people, and our nation,” the spokesman said.
He went on to affirm that the Houthis will continue to “prevent Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of occupied Palestine from navigating in the Arab and Red Seas until the aggression stops and the siege on … the [Palestinian] Gaza Strip is lifted.”
Earlier, CENTCOM announced that the U.S. Navy and a warship of the Royal Navy shot down 18 one-way attack drones, two anti-ship cruise missiles and one anti-ship ballistic missile which were launched by the Houthis from Yemen late on January 9.
The command said that barrage targeted international shipping lanes in the southern Red Sea. It didn’t provide any further details or report any losses.
The Houthis, who control much of Yemen’s Red Sea coast, are a part of the so-called Axis of Resistance that is backed by Iran and opposes Israel. The group has fired several missiles and drones at the southernmost Israeli city of Eilat since the beginning of the Israeli war on Gaza. It also assaulted a number of Israeli-related ships and announced a blockade on all ships heading to Israel.
The U.S. responded to recent Houthi attacks by launching Operation Prosperity Guardian to “ensure the safety of maritime traffic” in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab and Gulf of Aden.
Still, the Houthis vowed to continue attacks until Israel halts war on Gaza, and warned that it would attack U.S. warships if the militia group itself was targeted.
Last week, the U.S. and about a dozen of its allies condemned the Houthis’ repeated attacks, warning that the group “will bear the responsibility of the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and free flow of commerce in the region’s critical waterways.”
