The United States and the United Kingdom, with the support of numerous allies including Canada, carried out an unprecedented attack on rebels in Yemen on Thursday evening.
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“It is too early to tell the extent of the damage, but limited attacks will not harm the Houthis enough to make a difference.” […] on the other hand, if the United States carried out major attacks, we would risk becoming mired in a new war in the Middle East. It’s a very difficult balance to find,” observes Thomas Juneau, professor at the Graduate School of International Public Affairs at the University of Ottawa.
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After numerous attacks on ships by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea in recent weeks, the United States and the United Kingdom report Thursday “successful” attacks on Yemen’s capital and other rebel-held cities in the country.
Since the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip began on October 7, the Houthis, close to Iran, have stepped up attacks against merchant ships in the Red Sea, claiming they are targeting vessels linked to the Jewish state in solidarity with the Palestinians.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY Thomas Juneau
Thomas Juneau professor at the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa.
“This is the first time the United States has carried out attacks against the Houthis in Yemen […] doing nothing was a bad choice,” underlines Thomas Juneau, professor and author of the book Yemen at war.
The United States had already deployed warships and created an international coalition in December to protect maritime traffic in this area where 12% of world trade passes.
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Some ships are now bypassing the area, which has driven up transportation costs between Europe and Asia.
Numerous supports
The multinational offensive is believed to have involved fighter jets and Tomahawk missiles, US media reported.
They targeted radar and drone and missile infrastructure, in order to reduce their ability to attack merchant ships in the Red Sea, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a press release.
“Our goal remains to ease tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea,” read a joint statement involving the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea and United Kingdom.
The British press, for its part, claims that British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has agreed to the strikes.
Yemeni rebel leader Abdel Malek al-Houthi had threatened earlier in the day to respond to any American attack in the Red Sea with operations even “bigger” than Tuesday’s particularly heavy one.
These are 18 drones and three missiles which were then shot down by fighter planes deployed from the American aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower, three American destroyers and a British warship, the HMS Diamond.
We do not yet know the results of these attacks, but civilian casualties are expected.
-With Agency France-Presse
2024-01-12 00:41:21
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