The U.S. military said Tuesday it had carried out a series of strikes on the Houthis, the Iranian-backed group in Yemen, as the group suggested it would continue attacking Israel and ships in the Red Sea if there was no ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

It was not immediately clear whether the strikes would be a setback for the Houthis, who have remained undeterred even as they have come under attack from the United States and Israel.

The Houthis have been launching missiles at Israel and attacking commercial vessels they claim are headed for Israel in solidarity with their ally, Hamas, in Gaza.

The U.S. military's Central Command said on the social site X that it had conducted "multiple precision strikes" on Houthi targets in Sanaa, Yemen's capital, and coastal sites on Monday and Tuesday. It said the targets included a command and control facility and centers for weapons production and storage.

A video posted by the command, which directs U.S. military combat forces in the Middle East, showed F/A-18 Hornets and a F-35 Joint Strike Fighter carrying bombs under their wings, launching at night from an aircraft carrier. It also showed the daytime launch of two missiles from an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, which typically carries Tomahawk cruise missiles for strikes on targets ashore.

Al-Masirah, a TV channel affiliated with the Houthis, reported two complexes in Sanaa were struck Tuesday.

Mohammed Abdulsalam, a senior Houthi spokesperson, condemned "American aggression on Yemen," calling it a "blatant violation of an independent country's sovereignty and blunt support for Israel."

Nasruddin Amer, a Houthi spokesperson, vowed his group would continue "its operations in support of Gaza whatever the situation."

"We will confront any escalation by escalating ourselves," he told The New York Times in a text message. "The best solution is to stop the aggression on Gaza."

While indirect talks between Israel and Hamas appeared to have made some progress in recent weeks, a breakthrough to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages held there has remained elusive.

Source: The Economic Times 

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