US, UK Strike Houthi Targets in Yemen
Summary from the AllSides News Team
The U.S. and U.K. launched strikes against multiple Houthi targets in Yemen on Thursday in response to the group's recent attacks on ships in the Red Sea.
The Details: The strikes killed five and wounded six, according to a Houthi military spokesperson. "Over 60 targets at 16 Iranian-backed Houthi militant locations" were hit, according to U.S. Air Forces Central.
Key Quotes: "Today, at my direction, U.S. military forces — together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands—successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most vital waterways," President Joe Biden said in a statement.
For Context: The Houthis say they are attacking ships to stand in solidarity with Palestinians amid Israel's strikes on Gaza.
How the Media Covered it: Many sources across the spectrum highlighted how Iran supports the Houthis, and suggested the U.S. strikes could widen conflicts further in the Middle East. The Epoch Times (Lean Right bias) highlighted some Democrats who said the strikes were unconstitutional.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Right
Republicans, Democrats React to US, UK Strikes Against Houthis in YemenMembers of Congress have responded to a series of strikes conducted by U.S. and UK military forces on Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen on Jan. 11, with some lawmakers declaring them “unconstitutional.”
President Joe Biden ordered Thursday’s strikes in response to a series of drone and missile attacks by the Houthis. The attacks targeted U.S. and international commercial ships in the southern Red Sea’s international waters, a vital route for shipping and energy supply transfers.
More than 50 nations have been affected by 27 attacks on international commercial shipping, according to the...
From the Left
US and UK carry out strikes against Iran-backed Houthis in YemenThe US and UK militaries launched strikes against multiple Houthi targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen on Thursday, marking a significant response after the Biden administration and its allies warned that the Iran-backed militant group would bear the consequences of repeated drone and missile attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
US President Joe Biden said he ordered the strikes “in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea.”
“Today, at my direction, U.S. military forces — together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and...
From the Center
Strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen could undermine US aim to contain warIt is time to stop talking about the risk that the war in Gaza will spread elsewhere in the Middle East. It has already happened.
Hopes for containing what is happening rest on the fact that it is still relatively low-level, compared to the worst-case scenarios of regional war.
The US and British attacks on the Houthis in Yemen are not just, as ministers in London have suggested, about the freedom of navigation and world trade.
They are directly linked to events in Gaza and represent an escalation of the crisis...
AllSides Picks
May 16th, 2024
May 16th, 2024