The United States launched new airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen early this morning, following 24-hour joint raids with the United Kingdom that targeted several Houthi sites in the capital Sanaa and other Yemeni provinces with the aim of diminishing the Houthi group's ability to launch attacks in the Red Sea.
CNN reported, citing an American official, that the new strikes in Yemen targeted a radar facility used by the Houthis, and noted that the attacks were much smaller in scale than the previous ones and were carried out unilaterally by Washington.
U.S. officials told the Associated Press that the site targeted by the new U.S. strike in Yemen posed a threat, while NBC reported U.S. officials as saying that a U.S. Navy ship executed the strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen.
Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, was hit by a number of U.S.-British airstrikes early Saturday morning, according to Al Masirah channel affiliated with the Ansar Allah Houthi group.
Al Masirah reported that the "Al-Dailami airbase" north of Sanaa had been bombed again.
Al Jazeera's correspondent in Sanaa, Mohammed Al-Attab, reported hearing the sound of several explosions, especially in the northern part of the city, after the first strikes on Houthi sites in Sanaa and other Yemeni provinces by Washington and London with the aim of what they call weakening the Houthi group's capabilities to carry out attacks in the Red Sea.
Al Jazeera's correspondent in Washington, Nasser Al-Husseini, conveyed statements from an American official to several U.S. media outlets saying that the strike was very limited and targeted, hitting a radar facility in Al-Hudaydah.
The correspondent mentioned that the strike may have been precautionary to warn the Houthis against carrying out their threats.
In this context, Houthi Political Bureau member Hezam Al-Assad tweeted, "Does Washington want an open war?! Let it be."
Anticipation of "Retaliation"
Earlier, the director of operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Douglas Sims, informed reporters that the Houthis had fired an anti-ship ballistic missile on Friday in response to the strikes, but it did not hit any ship. He saw their tone as "strong and high. I expect that they will try to carry out some sort of retaliatory response," referring to the Houthis.
Democratic Senator Tim Kaine said he was concerned about entering into a cycle of attack and counterattack following the attacks on Houthi sites in Yemen, which could bring the United States closer to war, in his words.
The United States and the United Kingdom carried out airstrikes in the early hours of Friday, targeting several sites in Yemen. Al Jazeera's correspondent reported that the bombing targeted "Al-Dailami airbase" north of the capital Sanaa, the vicinity of Al-Hudaydah International Airport to the west, "Kahlan camp" in Saada to the north, and "Abs airport" in Hajjah to the northwest, as well as "Al-Jand area" north of Taiz governorate to the south.
Houthi-affiliated media outlets also reported that the strikes targeted "Taiz Airport" and "Brigade 22 camp" in the northern directorate of Taizz.
Biden's Warning
U.S. President Joe Biden has described the Houthi group in Yemen as a terrorist organization, vowing to respond if it continues the same behavior, according to him. Meanwhile, the Houthi's Supreme Political Council declared that all American and British interests had become legitimate targets in response to the attacks they launched on Yemeni sites early Friday morning.
Biden stated in a message to Congress that the U.S.-British airstrikes targeted facilities in Yemen that facilitate Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.
He assured in his message that the strikes were carried out in a way aimed at minimizing the risks of escalation and avoiding civilian injuries. According to Biden, he ordered this military action in accordance with his responsibility to protect Americans at home and abroad and to enhance national security and foreign policy interests.
Biden added that the strikes were executed to deter and weaken the Houthi's capability to launch future attacks. He clarified that the United States is prepared to take further action as necessary to confront any threats or attacks.
The U.S. president also confirmed that his country took this necessary and proportionate action in accordance with international law and in exercising its right to self-defense as stipulated in the UN Charter.
Houthi Threat
Meanwhile, the Houthi group has threatened to respond to the U.S.-British strikes. A statement from the Supreme Council for Ansar Allah Houthis mentioned that "all American and British interests have become legitimate targets for the Yemeni armed forces in response to their direct and declared aggression against the Republic of Yemen."
Hussein Al-Ezzi, Deputy Foreign Minister in the Houthi government, warned that "America and Britain should prepare to pay a heavy price."
The assessment of the damage caused by the strikes, which targeted about 30 sites using more than 150 projectiles, is ongoing, according to General Douglas Sims, who said that a high number of casualties is not expected.
In solidarity with the Gaza Strip, which has been under an Israeli war with U.S. support since October 7, the Houthis target Red Sea shipping vessels owned or operated by Israeli companies or transporting goods to and from Israel with rockets and drones.
In response, the United States deployed warships and formed an international coalition last December to protect maritime traffic in the region, which accounts for 12% of global trade, following attacks on several ships passing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait.
