The US carried out a series of strikes in Yemen against the Iran-backed Houthis on Wednesday night, according to three US defense officials. The offensives targeted weapons storage facilities, including underground facilities.
The sites housed advanced conventional weapons used to target military and civilian vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, officials said.
The strikes were carried out by B-2 Spirit bombers, according to one of the officials, marking the first time the US has used the strategic “stealth” bomber to attack the Houthis in Yemen since the start of the American campaign.
The B-2 is a much larger platform than the fighter jets that have been used so far to target Houthi installations and weapons, capable of carrying a much heavier bomb load.
The attack on the Iran-backed group comes at a time of great tension in the region. Israel is expected to retaliate to Iran’s recent missile offensive ahead of the US election on November 5, while conflicts with Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza are ongoing.
Wednesday’s attack — on Thursday morning (17), local time — is the latest in a saga of attacks by the Houthis and the US. The Houthis have been carrying out constant attacks on commercial ships and navy assets in the region for months.
The offensive also comes as US service members began arriving in Israel after the US announced the deployment of an advanced anti-missile system to help protect Israel following Iran’s missile attack.
While the US has carried out attacks against the Houthis in the past in partnership with the UK, Wednesday’s attack was carried out solely by the US.
Over the past year, the United States has repeatedly attacked or intercepted Houthi drones and missiles in an effort to protect ships and degrade the group’s arsenal. But the Houthi attacks have not stopped.
In September, the Iran-backed group claimed to have launched approximately two dozen ballistic missiles and drones against three US destroyers. Pentagon Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said that “at no point” did any of the missiles or drones hit a US ship.
“I can confirm that no US ships were damaged or hit. There were no injuries among US personnel. We have seen a complex attack launch by the Houthis ranging from cruise missiles and UAVs,” Singh said. “My understanding is that they were engaged and shot down or failed.”
Earlier this month, the US struck 15 Houthi targets in Yemen, including “Houthi offensive military capabilities,” US Central Command said.
The Iran-backed group has said it is carrying out the attacks in support of Hamas in Gaza and, more recently, Hezbollah in Lebanon.
In September, the Houthis fired a missile inside Israel, although the Israeli military assessed that it “probably fragmented in the air” and landed in an open area in the country, causing no injuries.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in September that the Houthis would pay a “high price” for the attack. A few days later, the Israel Defense Forces said it destroyed power plants and a seaport in air strikes against the Houthis.
Since then, the Houthis have launched more attacks against Israel, saying they launched drones on October 1 in support of Hezbollah and that they fired two missiles and several drones into the country on October 7.
The Israeli military said that in the latest attack, Israel intercepted a surface-to-air missile fired from Yemen toward central Israel.
Houthi attacks on commercial ships have killed several sailors and resulted in major environmental problems. In August, an attack on a Greek-flagged ship left it on fire and leaking oil; the Pentagon warned at the time of a “potential environmental catastrophe.”
This content was originally published in US attacks Iran-backed Houthis with bombers in Yemen on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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