The United States has launched a series of “precision strikes” against five underground weapons storage locations controlled by the Houthi movement in Yemen. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that B-2 Spirit stealth bombers were employed in the operation, targeting hardened facilities housing missiles and other munitions used by the Iran-backed group to attack civilian and military ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The strikes, authorized by President Biden, were designed to degrade the Houthis’ capabilities to continue their destabilizing behavior in one of the world’s most critical waterways. Austin emphasized that the operation demonstrated the US ability to hit facilities that adversaries sought “to keep out of reach.”
Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV reported that the strikes targeted six areas in and around the capital Sanaa and two near the northern city of Saada. However, no casualties were initially reported. US Central Command stated there were no initial indications of civilian casualties from the strikes.
The targeted areas reportedly include military bases where satellite imagery had shown the Houthis creating or enlarging underground facilities, such as the Television area in northern Sanaa and al-Hafa to the southeast.
This military action comes in response to the Houthis’ repeated attacks on commercial shipping since November 2023. The group has sunk two vessels, seized a third of targeted ships, and killed crew members, claiming to act in support of Palestinians in the Gaza conflict. Their attacks have forced major shipping companies to avoid the Red Sea and Suez Canal, significantly impacting international trade.
Despite the deployment of Western warships to protect merchant vessels and previous US and British air strikes, the Houthis have remained undeterred. The group’s political official, Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, stated that these attacks would “only increase our determination to continue our military operations in support of Gaza.”
The Houthis have also launched direct attacks on Israel, including a drone strike on Tel Aviv in July that killed one person and missile attacks targeting Israel’s main airport in September. Israel responded to these incidents with strikes on Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen.
