Houthis issue chilling threat to US after missile strikes see tensions explode

12 January 2024 , 10:22

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Abdel-Malik al-Houthi has issued a chilling warning to the US (Image: aljazeera)

The Houthi rebels have issued a stark warning to the US stating that any attacks on Yemen will be met with a swift and powerful response.

Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, the rebel leader, said: "Any American attack will not remain without a response. The response will be greater than the attack that was carried out with 20 drones and a number of missiles."

US and British forces launched a massive counter-attack on Thursday, targeting over a dozen sites used by the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. The strikes were carried out using Tomahawk missiles launched from warships and submarines, as well as fighter jets.

Al-Houthi also warned that they are determined to target ships linked to Israel. In response to the overnight strikes, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, the group's spokesman, said in a televised speech that the US and Britain had made a mistake by launching a war on Yemen. He added: "Soon they will realise that the direct aggression against Yemen was the greatest folly in their history."

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The U.S. Air Force's Mideast command confirmed that it struck over 60 targets at 16 sites in Yemen, including command-and-control nodes, munitions depots, launching systems, production facilities and air defence radar systems.

President Joe Biden has said that the US and its allies "will not tolerate" constant attacks on the Red Sea by militants. He explained that the decision to strike was taken after diplomatic negotiations and careful consideration. "These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea - including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history," Biden stated. He warned that he wouldn't hesitate to take further action to protect people and international trade.

The US and Britain had made a mistake in launching the war on Yemen, according to Houthis (Anadolu via Getty Images)

This is the first time the US military has responded to the ongoing campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships since the Israel-Hamas war began. The military action comes a week after the White House and other nations issued a final warning to the Houthis to stop the attacks or face potential military action. Officials discussed the strikes anonymously due to the sensitive nature of military operations. Members of Congress were briefed earlier on the strike plans.

A Houthi fighter stands guard in front of Sanaa's Al-Saleh Grand Mosque (AFP via Getty Images)

The warning seemed to have a temporary effect, as attacks paused for several days. However, on Tuesday, the Houthi rebels launched their biggest-ever attack of drones and missiles targeting ships in the Red Sea. U.S. and British ships and American fighter jets retaliated by shooting down 18 drones, two cruise missiles and an anti-ship missile. Then on Thursday, the Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile into the Gulf of Aden, which was spotted by a commercial ship but didn't hit it.

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Liam Buckler