US and UK launch new strikes on Houthis in Yemen

US Central Command said that strikes were launched on eight targets in Houthi controlled Yemen that included missile systems and launchers, air defense systems, radars, and deeply buried weapons storage facilities.

The strikes under Operation Prosperity Guardian were conducted with the support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands.

Since the first strikes were launched against on 11 January Houthi militia have continued to unabated in their attempts to attack commercial shipping in the Southern Red Sea.

These attacks have included two missile and unmanned aerial system attacks on two US-owned vessels bulkers Gibraltar Eagle and the Picardy Eagle. There was also an attempt to hit the US chemical tanker Chem Ranger with two anti-ship ballistic missiles both of which missed their target.

The Houthi militia have launched over 30 attacks on commercial shipping in the region since mid-November last year when they hijacked the car carrier Galaxy Leader.

The UK Ministry of Defence stated: “Our aim remains to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea, but let us reiterate our warning to Houthi leadership: we will not hesitate to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in one of the world’s most critical waterways in the face of continued threats.”

Related:Fertiliser, grain, and clean product trades most exposed to Red Sea

Meanwhile US Naval forces refuted a claim by the Houthi that they had attacked the US-flag heavy lift vessel Ocean Jazz, owned by Seabulk.

US Naval Forces Central Command described reports of a successful attack on the vessel as “patently false”. “NAVCENT has maintained constant communications with M/V Ocean Jazz throughout its safe transit,” it stated.