In a coordinated effort with the United States, the United Kingdom has participated in a third wave of airstrikes targeting Iran-linked Houthi positions in Yemen. The UK Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps, emphasized that these attacks do not signify an escalation but are aimed at safeguarding innocent lives and maintaining freedom of navigation in the Red Sea, particularly in response to Houthi assaults on boats.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed that Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s, supported by Voyager tankers, conducted the joint mission on Saturday, targeting locations in Yemen used by the Houthi militia. The Iran-backed group has been implicated in repeated attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, often claiming to target Israeli or Israel-bound ships in protest against the conflict with Hamas in Gaza.
Despite their stated intentions, the Houthis have frequently targeted ships with tenuous or no clear connections to Israel, posing a threat to shipping along a crucial global trade route. The clashes in the southern Red Sea and the Bab al Mandab Strait have forced vessels to redirect around the Cape of Good Hope, resulting in longer and costlier journeys.
The recent airstrikes follow a US air assault in Iraq and Syria on Friday, which targeted Iranian-backed militias and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard in retaliation for a drone strike that claimed the lives of three American troops in Jordan.
During Saturday’s attacks, RAF Typhoons utilized precision-guided bombs against several military targets at three locations, with the MoD highlighting that some of these stations were implicated in launching drone attacks and conducting surveillance on cargo ships and Western warships.
A joint statement from the UK, US, Australia, Bahrain, Denmark, Canada, the Netherlands, and New Zealand characterized the airstrikes as an “additional round of proportionate and necessary strikes against 36 Houthi targets across 13 locations in Yemen.” The coalition cited the Houthi actions as “illegal, dangerous, and destabilizing” since the previous coalition strikes on January 11 and 22. Defense Secretary Shapps reiterated that these strikes were conducted in self-defense and in accordance with international law, aiming to degrade Houthi capabilities while minimizing the risk of civilian casualties.
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