The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed strong condemnation on Friday for the military actions taken by the United States and the United Kingdom in various Yemeni cities, targeting Houthi rebels.
Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Nasser Kanaani stated that these actions were viewed as a clear violation of Yemen’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, along with being a breach of international laws, regulations, and rights.
Both the US and UK military conducted airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen, marking a significant response following repeated drone and missile attacks by the Iran-backed Houthi group on commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
President Joe Biden, in a statement from the White House, emphasized that these Houthi attacks had put American individuals, civilian mariners, and international partners at risk, as well as threatening trade and navigation, affecting over 50 countries and 27 attacks on international commercial shipping.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak affirmed the UK’s commitment to safeguarding freedom of navigation and trade, stating that strikes had targeted military facilities used by the Houthis in Yemen. He also announced that the Royal Navy would continue its patrols in the Red Sea as part of Operation Prosperity Guard to deter Houthi actions.
These airstrikes represent the first military response by the US against Houthi rebels in the ongoing conflict in Yemen, which has witnessed a series of drone and missile attacks on commercial vessels.
Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Houthi group, warned in a televised address that any American attack in Yemen would not go unanswered.
He indicated that any response would be more substantial than the previous attack on an American ship in the Red Sea, involving twenty drones and missiles.
He stressed their determination to target vessels associated with Israel and their refusal to back down from this stance.
Tensions in the region are on the rise, with global observers closely monitoring the situation.
