British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has announced that the UK, in collaboration with the US, has carried out joint air strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen. This came in response to continued threatening attacks by the Iranian-backed group against UK ships, as well as against US vessels in the Red Sea. The US Air Force reported that more than 60 targets at 16 locations used by the Houthis in Yemen were struck during the operation. Sunak emphasized that these strikes were a necessary and proportionate action in self-defence, aimed at degrading Houthi military capabilities and protecting global shipping.

As the US & UK are bombing Yemen as of this very moment, consider what Yemen's Defense Minister had to say earlier today.

"the stages of guardianship, dominance, and subservience have been buried in the oblivion's ceilings and gone beyond recall." pic.twitter.com/e2SWd4kvWg

— روني الدنماركي (@Aldanmarki) January 13, 2024

The Royal Navy, as part of the multinational Operation Prosperity Guardian, continues to patrol the Red Sea to deter further Houthi aggression. The UK Ministry of Defence stated that RAF typhoons conducted precision strikes on Houthi sites, including an airfield used to launch drones and missiles over the Red Sea, and another site used to launch attack drones. Early indications suggest that the Houthis' ability to threaten merchant shipping has taken a significant blow as a result of these strikes.

A joint statement from the governments of the UK, US, and several other countries, reiterated that the strikes were carried out in response to the illegal, dangerous, and destabilizing Houthi attacks against vessels, including commercial shipping, transiting the Red Sea. It also affirmed the shared commitment to freedom of navigation, international commerce, and defending the lives of mariners from illegal and unjustifiable attacks. However, in response to the joint strikes, Houthi officials have warned that the UK and US will pay a heavy price.

House of Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has called for British members of Parliament to be updated on military strikes at the earliest possible opportunity. The UK government has indicated that no further strikes are immediately planned, and earlier this week, the UN Security Council had passed a resolution demanding an immediate end to Houthi attacks, endorsing the right of UN member states to defend their vessels.

Since November 2023, the Iranian-backed Houthis have been attacking merchant and commercial vessels in the Red Sea, impeding global commerce and undermining navigational rights. It is clear that tensions in the region remain high, and the international community continues to monitor the situation closely, seeking to uphold the principles of freedom of navigation and the protection of global shipping.