U.S. and U.K. launch strikes against Houthis, Russia calls U.N. meeting, Iraq condemns

Shafaq News/ On Friday, American and British forces attacked Yemen's Houthi fighters with air, ship, and submarine strikes targeting weapons storage as well as logistic facilities.

U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement from the White House that "this attack is in direct response to unparalleled attacks by Houthi forces against international maritime vessels traversing the Red Sea."

According to Biden's statement, the strikes were supported by Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands "to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world's most vital waterways."

U.S. Air Forces Central Commander Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich revealed that the strikes targeted over 60 sites at 16 Houthi locations, including command and control nodes, munitions depots, launching systems, production facilities, and air defense radar systems."

In turn, Russia formally requested an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council to address the strikes on Yemen.

Russia's permanent mission to the United Nations said, "Russia has requested an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council on January 12 in connection with the U.S. and U.K. strikes on Yemen."

The political advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammad Shia Al-Sudani, Fadi Al-Shammari, condemned the strikes.

"While the West's efforts should focus on mending its reputation tarnished by its stance on Israel's actions against Palestine, children, women, and civilians in Gaza, it is regrettably engaging in another imprudent act by broadening the scope of conflict and heightening tensions in the region, While some advocate for restraint, urging a decrease in tensions and a commitment to non-escalation," wrote Al-Shammari on X platform.

Ansarallah (Houthis), a prominent group in the Iran-backed Axis of Resistance, was involved in the conflict days after the Israeli aggression against Gaza, which killed so far more than 23,500 Palestinians, mostly children and women.

The Houthis, which control much of Yemen, have launched many missiles towards the Israeli areas and prevented any Israeli-involved ships from crossing the Red Sea through Bab Al-Mandeb.

The Yemeni group asserted that its operations would continue until the end of the Israeli war against Palestinians.