The United States and the United Kingdom launched airstrikes on 13 targets of Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on Thursday (May 30th), in order to deter the armed group from further disrupting Red Sea shipping. Not long ago, after the Houthi militants fired five missiles at a Chinese merchant ship, the Chinese Communist authorities, who have long supported the Houthis, seemed to have shifted their stance on attacks on civilian ships.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) issued a statement on social media platform X, stating that on May 30th between 3:15 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. local time, US Central Command forces successfully destroyed eight Iranian-supported Houthi-controlled unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the region of Yemen and over the Red Sea.
Additionally, the American and British forces targeted 13 locations in the Houthi terrorist-controlled area of Yemen.
The statement emphasized that these Houthi-controlled UAVs and facilities posed a threat to US and coalition forces in the region, as well as commercial ships. These military actions are necessary to protect our troops, ensure freedom of navigation, and provide a safer international maritime environment for the US and coalition forces and commercial ships.
Thursday’s operation marked the fifth joint action against the Houthi rebels by US and UK forces since January 12th of this year.
The UK Ministry of Defence stated: “As always, we are extremely cautious in formulating attack plans, minimizing the risks to civilians or non-military infrastructure.”
Al-Masirah, operated by the Houthis, reported that Yemen had been attacked 13 times.
Earlier this week, a ship flying the flag of the Marshall Islands and owned by Greece was hit by missiles twice in the Red Sea off Yemen. A private security company indicated that radio communications showed the ship taking on water after being hit. The Houthi militants claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Houthi rebels control the capital of Yemen and many densely populated areas and have been targeting international shipping vessels passing through the Red Sea in support of Palestinians in the Israel-Hamas conflict since November last year. This has led to US and UK airstrikes against the Houthis since January of this year.
According to the US Maritime Administration, since November last year, the Houthi militants have launched more than 50 attacks on ships, seized one vessel, and sunk another. Due to this threat, the volume of shipping through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden has decreased.
On March 24th, the US Central Command stated that in the early hours of March 23rd, Iranian-backed Houthi forces first launched four anti-ship ballistic missiles near the Chinese-owned and operated vessel “Huangpu.” At 4:25 p.m., the Houthis fired a fifth missile hitting the “Huangpu.”
However, the Chinese vessel “Huangpu” did not receive assistance from the Chinese troops stationed in Djibouti or the Chinese Navy, which has long been escorting missions in the Gulf of Aden. Furthermore, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not comment on the incident, while Hu Xijin, former editor-in-chief of the Global Times, voiced support for the Houthi militants, which sparked mockery among netizens.
Recently, the Chinese Communist authorities seem to have changed their tone on the issue in the Red Sea. According to a statement from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a meeting in Beijing with the Yemeni Foreign Minister Zandani on Tuesday, May 28th, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized, “China calls for an end to the harassment of civilian ships, to maintain the safety of navigation in the Red Sea waters, and is willing to play a constructive role in this regard.”
According to Voice of America, Russia and China accused the US and UK of “illegally attacking” the military bases used by the Yemeni Houthi rebels to launch missiles at Red Sea ships, disrupting global shipping during a United Nations Security Council meeting in February.
US Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood and UK Ambassador Barbara Woodward responded by stating that the Houthi attacks were illegal and “raised the costs of global shipping, including food supplies and humanitarian aid in the region,” and their actions against the Yemeni rebels were “proportionate and lawful self-defense measures.”