Sanaa, Yemen— After weeks of disruptive attacks on Red Sea shipping by Iran-backed Houthi troops in solidarity with Hamas, heavy U.S. and British airstrikes hit rebel-held Yemen early Friday.
Since Hamas' extraordinary strike on Israel on Oct. 7, the Houthis have attacked Israel-linked vessels in the crucial international trade route more often.
Since 2014, Iran-backed "axis of resistance" rebels have ruled a large chunk of Yemen.
The Houthi rebels' Al-Masirah TV station reported Friday's strikes on an airbase, airports, and military camp. AFP correspondents and witnesses heard bombardments.
Houthi Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Al-Ezzi said, "Our country was subjected to a massive aggressive attack by American and British ships, submarines and warplanes," rebel media said.
"America and Britain will have to prepare to pay a heavy price and bear all the dire consequences of this blatant aggression," warned.
After the Red Sea bombings, U.S. President Joe Biden dubbed the U.S. and British strikes "defensive action" and "will not hesitate" to order more military action.
U.S. Air Forces Central Command said fighter planes and Tomahawk missiles were used in the operations. More than 100 precision-guided munitions hit 60 targets at 16 Houthi positions, it added.
"Today, at my direction, U.S. military forces — together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands — successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world's most vital waterways," Biden said in a tweet.
Some social media photographs of Al-Dailami airbase north of Sanaa showed explosions lighting up the sky with loud bangs and plane roars.
Biden termed the strikes a "direct response" to the Houthis' "unprecedented" actions, "including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history."
"These attacks have endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardized trade, and threatened freedom of navigation," added he.
Praising the Houthis for ignoring "repeated warnings," U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called the strikes "necessary and proportionate."
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the strikes "targeted sites associated with the Houthis' unmanned aerial vehicle, ballistic and cruise missile, coastal radar and air surveillance capabilities."
The US, UK, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and South Korea stated that the "aim remains to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea."
"But let our message be clear: we will not hesitate to defend lives and protect the free flow of commerce in one of the world's most critical waterways in the face of continued threats," stated.
The Houthis stated the airstrikes were "no justification" and warned of continued assaults on Israel-linked vessels.
"We affirm that there is absolutely no justification for this aggression against Yemen, as there was no threat to international navigation in the Red and Arabian Seas, and the targeting was and will continue to affect Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of occupied Palestine," Mohammed Abdulsalam, a Houthi spokesman,
Yemen's neighbor Saudi Arabia, eager to conclude its nine-year war with the Houthis, advised against escalation.
"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is following with great concern the military operations," the Foreign Ministry said, urging "self-restraint and avoiding escalation."
Western strikes might escalate the Middle East conflict between the US and Israel and Iran and its regional allies.
The Houthi rebels said they're supporting Palestinians after Israel bombarded Gaza after the Oct. 7 incident by launching drones and missiles toward Israel.
Israel's northern border has been under fire from Iran-backed militants in Syria and Lebanon, particularly Hamas-aligned Hezbollah. It has retaliated with strikes in both countries.
U.S. and ally forces in Iraq and Syria have also experienced increased threats since the Gaza conflict, with Washington targeting pro-Iran locations in response.
The US and its allies had delivered a series of increasingly harsh warnings to the Houthis to stop the maritime strikes, but Washington was concerned of inflaming regional tensions.
December saw Washington form Operation Prosperity Guardian, an international coalition to protect maritime traffic, which accounts for 12% of global trade.
On Jan. 3, 12 nations led by the US warned the Houthis of "consequences" if they attacked commercial vessels.
Washington and London shot down 18 drones and three missiles on Tuesday, in what London called the Houthis' biggest strike.
After the Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile into a Gulf of Aden commerce waterway early Thursday, Western allies thought they had reached their breaking point.
The U.S. military reported the 27th Red Sea attack against international shipping since November 19.
Shipping firms have diverted past South Africa's Cape of Good Hope due to increased attacks, raising concerns about a global economic shock.
After the Oct. 7 assaults on Israel, the US increased its military presence in the region and urged Iran and its allies not to escalate.
A decade of civil conflict and a Saudi-led coalition's military campaign have caused one of the world's worst humanitarian catastrophes in Yemen, the Arabian peninsula's poorest country. The U.S. originally responded cautiously to preserve a fragile truce.
