Airstrikes target Houthi rebels again following Red Sea shipping threat

Fresh airstrikes hit Yemen’s Houthis after threats to Red Sea shipping, escalating regional tensions amid increased violence involving Iran-aligned groups since the start of the Gaza war, impacting global trade

A new wave of airstrikes hit Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Saturday, as confirmed by security sources and the United States military.

The military action comes in response to warnings from the Iran-backed rebels about further attacks on Red Sea shipping.

The strikes occurred a day after U.S. and British forces targeted numerous locations across Yemen, raising concerns that the conflict between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas could escalate across the broader region.

Violence involving Iran-aligned groups in Yemen, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria has surged since the commencement of the Gaza war in early October.

The Houthis, expressing solidarity with Gaza, have increasingly carried out missile and drone attacks on what they perceive as Israeli-linked shipping in the crucial Red Sea international trade route. The Bab al-Mandeb Strait, situated between southwest Yemen and Djibouti, normally facilitates around 12 percent of global trade.

Since mid-November, these rebel attacks have impacted trade flows, exacerbating existing supply strains that are contributing to global inflation.

The Houthi operations appear to be in response to Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israel on Oct. 7, which initiated the ongoing conflict in the besieged Gaza Strip.

The U.S. Central Command reported that its forces targeted a Houthi radar site early on Saturday in a follow-up action related to the previous day’s strikes. The Houthis’ official media mentioned that Al-Dailami airbase in Yemen’s rebel-held capital, Sanaa, was struck in the latest bombardment.

Subsequently, a Houthi-allied military source informed Agence France-Presse (AFP) that a site on the outskirts of the Red Sea port city of Hodeida, which the rebels used to launch a rocket, was also hit in the latest round of strikes. This information was later confirmed by a police source.

Source: AFP