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The US and Royal Navies have completed their first round of strikes against Houthi positions in Yemen following weeks of ongoing attacks against commercial shipping in the Red Sea as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian.
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The Pentagon has confirmed that US naval forces in the Red Sea, supported by the Royal Navy, have successfully launched a series of strikes against Houthi-held positions, warehouses, training infrastructure, and missile launch sites across Yemen.
Air strikes have been reported at Yemeni cities including Sana'a, Hodeidah, Saada, Dhamar, Taiz, and Zabid.
The strikes come following weeks of repeated aggression, culminating in 27 attacks against commercial shipping traversing the Red Sea by the Iranian-backed Houthi insurgent group since November 2023, which has launched a series of anti-ship cruise and ballistic missiles, unmanned aerial drones, and speedboat attacks against the globally sensitive shipping lane.
Open source intelligence reporting has also alleged that the US Embassy in Baghdad has come under attack from Shia militia in Iraq and that a US Navy warship in the area has been targeted by either an anti-ship cruise or ballistic missile launched in retaliation by the Houthis.
US President Joe Biden stated, “These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea ... I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce.”
Meanwhile, President Biden confirmed that Australia has provided some “limited support” to the US and UK-led strikes against targets in Yemen.
As part of this, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese made a joint statement along with the leaders of the governments of Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, stating, "Recognising the broad consensus as expressed by 44 countries around the world on December 19, 2023, as well as the statement by the UN Security Council on December 1, 2023, condemning Houthi attacks against merchant and commercial vessels transiting the Red Sea, our governments issued a joint statement on January 3, 2024, which called for the immediate end of illegal attacks and warned that malign actors would be held accountable should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, and the free flow of commerce in the region’s critical waterways."
"Despite this strong warning, attacks in the Red Sea have continued, including the launch of numerous missiles and one-way attack aerial vehicles against ships in the Red Sea on January 9, 2024, including US and UK vessels. On January 10, 2024, the UN Security Council passed UNSCR 2722, which also condemned these attacks and demanded that they cease," the joint statement added.
Adding further detail, the joint statement added, "Despite this strong warning, attacks in the Red Sea have continued, including the launch of numerous missiles and one-way attack aerial vehicles against ships in the Red Sea on January 9, 2024, including US. and UK vessels. On January 10, 2024, the UN Security Council passed UNSCR 2722, which also condemned these attacks and demanded that they cease."
Finally, the joint statement reiterated the emphasis of Operation Prosperity Guardian and its contributing members, stating, "Our aim remains to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea, but let our message be clear: We will not hesitate to defend lives and protect the free flow of commerce in one of the world’s most critical waterways in the face of continued threats."
The Red Sea is a globally critical sea line of communication, with approximately 12 per cent of the world’s total global shipping by value travelling through the waterway that is linked to the Mediterranean by the Suez Canal.
