The U.S. military carried out multiple airstrikes Saturday night targeting advanced weapons storage facilities held by Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen, the Pentagon confirmed. According to sources, the facilities contained weapons used to target military and civilian vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The Houthi-controlled Al Masirah television network reported three airstrikes by American and British forces in Sanaa’s southern Al Sabeen district. “Eyewitnesses reported hearing intense aircraft activity and explosions across various parts of the capital Sanaa,” Al Masirah said.
The United States and Britain have conducted repeated strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen since January in response to Houthi attacks on maritime vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The Houthis claim these strikes, which have disrupted global shipping routes, target Israeli-linked vessels as a show of solidarity with Palestinians during the Gaza conflict.
Houthi attacks have severely impacted Red Sea shipping lanes, which carry approximately 12% of global trade. Over the past year, more than 100 Houthi attacks have resulted in the deaths of four sailors, the sinking of two ships, and the hijacking of another vessel, which has been detained along with its crew since November.
These latest U.S. strikes come three days after Houthi leader Abdul Malik Al-Houthi criticized U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for his support of Israel. Al-Houthi stated that the normalization deals Trump brokered between Arab nations and Israel had failed to resolve regional conflicts, predicting that Trump would not succeed in his upcoming term either.
