USA confirmed this Thursday that it carried out a joint military action with the support of several countries against the Houthi rebels in Yemenafter the increase in their attacks against vessels in the Red Sea.
The president, Joe Biden, explained in a statement that under his direction the US military forces, with him United Kingdom and the support of Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlandsthey successfully carried out attacks against several targets in Yemen used by the Houthi rebels.
Military action occurs in response to “unprecedented” attacks of the Houthi rebels, who this Thursday launched a ballistic missile with the aim of hitting the shipping routes of the Gulf of Aden, a strategic route for transporting oil from the Persian Gulf. “These attacks have endangered American personnel, civilian Marines and our partners, endangered commerce and threatened freedom of navigation,” the US president warned.
The latest Houthi attack occurred at approximately 2 a.m. Sanaa time (03:00 GMT) on January 11, according to the United States Central Command (Centcom) in a statement. Although it did not cause damage to a commercial ship, it did increase the concern of the countries that use that trade route.
The president indicated that this constitutes the twenty-seventh attack launched by the Houthis against commercial ships that transit the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. “The international community’s response to these reckless attacks has been united and determined,” the US president stressed.
An Administration official added in a call with the press that today’s action is completely separate from the measures taken by the military coalition made up of more than 20 nations under the name of ‘Operation Prosperity Guardian’, released at the end of December. Today’s military operation used precision-guided munitions launched from US planes and ships to destroy specific Houthi targets, the official said. He added that the military action did not target civilian population centers and the risk of collateral damage was minimized.
Biden explained that more than 50 nations have been affected and crews of more than 20 countries have been threatened or taken hostage in acts of piracy. Additionally, more than 2,000 ships have had to divert thousands of miles to avoid the Red Sea, which can cause weeks of delays in product shipping times.
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“I will not hesitate to order additional measures to protect our people and the free flow of international trade as necessary”, declared the American president. The main shipping companies worldwide continue to adjust their routes to avoid transiting this sea route, through which almost 15% of global maritime trade passes, including 8% of world grain trade, 12% of oil trade and 8% of global maritime trade. % of world trade in liquefied natural gas.
In support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels have been attacking ships they say are linked to Israel in the Red Sea since Nov. 19.