The United States and British forces carried out a second round of strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen on Monday – the latest move against the Iran-aligned group over its targeting of Red Sea shipping.
The attacks were the eighth launched by the U.S., but only the second joint effort. The first joint strikes were on January 11.
Monday’s strikes were ordered by Joe Biden and the British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, after the two spoke on the phone earlier in the day, the White House confirmed.
U.S. fighter jets from the carrier USS Eisenhower were reported to be involved in Monday’s strikes, but it was not known what the targets were. CBS News reported that targets included Houthi-operated radars.
The Houthis, who control the most populous parts of Yemen, have claimed their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians under attack from Israel in Gaza.
In the past, the United States and British forces have mainly hit Houthi missiles and radar sites. The January 11 attacks targeted just under 30 locations with 150 different weapons, CBS reported.
The White House said Biden and Sunak ‘discussed ongoing Iranian-backed Houthi attacks against merchant and naval vessels transiting the Red Sea’.
They reiterated ‘their commitment to freedom of navigation, international commerce, and defending mariners from illegal and unjustifiable attacks’, the White House said.
It added: ‘The president and prime minister discussed the importance of increasing humanitarian aid and civilian protections for people in Gaza, and securing the release of hostages held by Hamas.’
The Houthi attacks have disrupted global shipping and stoked fears of global inflation.
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