The US struck Houthi targets in Yemen for the second night in a row in retaliation for attacks on ships in the Red Sea

The United States launched more bombing raids on Houthi towns in Yemen on Friday night, a day after launching a coordinated multinational attack on nearly 30 Houthi positions.

According to US media reports, the attack targeted a radar installation used by the Houthis.

A day ago, the United States and the United Kingdom a Aggressive after numerous attacks For the sea transport of the rebel group to the Red Sea.

Thursday’s strike marked the first US military response against the Houthis in what has been a sustained campaign of drone and missile attacks against commercial ships in Israel since the start of the war and a sign of growing international alarm about the threat. The world’s most critical waterways.

American and British armies Tomahawk missiles fired from warships have been used and fighter jets in the attack, several US officials told The Associated Press.

Military targets include logistics centers, air defense systems and weapons storage sites, they said.

The Associated Press noted that The United States and Britain have bombed more than a dozen sites It was used by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen in what has been described as a largely retaliatory attack.

Meanwhile, the UN Security Council last Wednesday a A resolution calling on the Houthis to immediately cease attacks and implicitly condemned its arms supplier Iran. It was approved by 11 votes to 0, with four abstentions: Russia, China, Algeria and Mozambique.

It emphasized Britain’s involvement in the attack The Biden administration’s attempt to use a broad international coalition to fight the Houthis, Instead of looking like he’s doing it alone. More than 20 countries are already participating in a US-led maritime mission to enhance ship security in the Red Sea.

For weeks, U.S. officials refused to signal when international patience would run out and they would strike back at the Houthis, even as multiple commercial ships were attacked by missiles and drones, prompting companies to consider diverting their ships. had been

However, on Wednesday, US officials again warned of the consequences.

The Biden administration’s reluctance to retaliate in recent months reflected political sensitivity and was largely driven by broader concerns about upsetting a fragile ceasefire in Yemen and fueling wider conflict in the region. The White House wants to maintain the ceasefire and is wary of taking steps in Yemen that could open another front in the war.

The Houthis have taken over Dozens of attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea since late November And they say they aim to stop Israel’s war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Most of the ships attacked have nothing to do with Israel.

The group’s supreme leader, Abdel Malek al-Houthi, said during an hour-long speech that “the response to any American attack will not only be at the level of operations that were recently carried out with more than 24 drones and several missiles.” Period “He’ll be bigger than that.”

On Tuesday, the The Shiite Islamic group launched the largest ever barrage of drones and missiles against ships in the Red SeaAmerican and British warships and American fighter jets were forced to shoot down 18 drones, two cruise missiles and one anti-ship missile, an episode al-Houthi was likely referring to.

The insurgents have carried out 27 attacks since November 19 with dozens of drones and missiles.