2024 missile strikes in Yemen

2024 missile strikes in Yemen
Part of the Red Sea crisis, Israel–Hamas war, and the Yemeni civil war
Airstrikes in Yemen
Date 12 January 2024 – present (4 days) Location Houthi-held Yemen (Shown in green in the map above) Status Ongoing US and UK conduct more than 150 missile strikes targeting Houthi controlled territory in Yemen
Belligerents
United States United Kingdom Supported by: Australia Bahrain Canada Netherlands	Yemen (SPC) Houthi movement
Commanders and leaders
Joe Biden Lloyd Austin Rishi Sunak Grant Shapps	Abdul-Malik al-Houthi Mohamed al-Atifi Mahdi al-Mashat Abdel-Aziz bin Habtour
Units involved
United States Air Force United States Navy Royal Air Force	Unknown
Strength
United States Navy USS Dwight D. Eisenhower F/A-18 Super Hornets USS Philippine Sea USS Gravely USS Mason USS Carney USS Florida Royal Air Force Four RAF Typhoons Paveway IV laser-guided bombs	Unknown
Casualties and losses
None	Seven killed, six injured (Houthi estimate) 60+ targets destroyed (US estimate)

On the morning of 12 January 2024, the United States and the United Kingdom, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, launched a series of cruise missile and airstrikes against the Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) in Yemen in response to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis had previously declared that their attacks are in support of Palestinians during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war; Houthi attacks on shipping were condemned by the United Nations Security Council the day before the strike.

US President Joe Biden ordered the strikes, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak convened his cabinet to authorize British participation. American officials said the strikes were intended to degrade Houthi capabilities to attack Red Sea targets rather than to kill leaders and Iranian trainers; the Houthis said at least five people were killed and six wounded.

Background

On 16 February 2021, the Biden administration removed Ansar Allah, the formal political and military organization of the Houthi movement, from the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) blacklist, due to concerns that the designation would impede the delivery of humanitarian aid amid Yemen's worsening political and socioeconomic crisis, as the Houthis controlled much of the most populated territory in Yemen. In April 2022, the United Nations brokered a ceasefire between the Houthis and Yemen's internationally recognized Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), which, despite formally lapsing the following October, continues to hold as of December 2023.

With the start of the Israel–Hamas war in October 2023, the Iran-backed, Houthi-controlled Supreme Political Council declared its support for Hamas and began launching attacks on commercial ships transiting the Red Sea, especially in the Bab el-Mandeb, the narrow strait that connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. While the Houthis initially claimed to target only commercial ships bound for Israeli ports or with some link to Israel, they soon began indiscriminately targeting vessels, attempting attacks on ships with no discernible Israeli ties. Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi warned that "Israel is giving the world some time to organize in order to prevent this but if there isn't to be a global arrangement, because it is a global issue, we will act in order to remove this naval siege." To launch attacks on Red Sea shipping, the Houthis use coastal missile batteries, loitering munitions, and fast attack craft armed with light autocannons, machine guns, and anti-tank missiles.

Before the Houthi attack on the freighter Maersk Hangzhou on 30 December 2023, the United States had shot down a total of 24 Houthi missiles and drones and deployed naval ships to protect Red Sea shipping lanes, but had not engaged directly with the Houthis.

A considerable number of freighters have continued to transit, with mostly large container ships diverting away rather than other shipping, with the strait continuing to be heavily used by bulk carriers and tankers which are under different contract arrangements and often from countries supportive of Gaza's situation so perceiving a minimal risk from ongoing Houthi attacks. In the first week of January 2024 the average number of freighters active each day in the Red Sea included 105 bulk carriers and 58 tankers, down from 115 bulk carriers and 70 tankers the week before. In contrast, six of the ten largest container shipping companies were largely avoiding the Red Sea, with relatively few container ships transiting the Bab al-Mandeb strait from 18 December 2023.

On 3 January 2024, the United States and a group of countries issued an ultimatum to the Houthis to stop their activities. In the days leading up to the strike, members of the US Congress and The Pentagon demanded a strong and deterrent response to the Houthis. One day before the strike, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution condemning Houthi activities in the Red Sea, in which Russia, China, Algeria and Mozambique abstained.

Timeline

A US Navy F/A-18 taking off prior to the strikes

Tomahawk missiles being launched from a US destroyer

12 January

The first wave of strikes commenced around 2:30 a.m. Yemen time (UTC+3). American fighter jets, armed with precision-guided bombs, were dispatched from regional bases. Simultaneously, 22 fixed-wing aircraft, including F/A-18s, took off from the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. In addition, the cruiser USS Philippine Sea, the destroyers USS Gravely, and USS Mason, along with the cruise-missile submarine USS Florida, launched Tomahawk cruise missiles. During this first wave of strikes, over 60 targets in 16 separate locations were hit by more than 100 missiles. Approximately 30 to 60 minutes later, a second wave struck dozens more targets in 12 additional locations using over 50 missiles.

The BBC reported four Royal Air Force Typhoon jets deployed from the RAF Akrotiri airbase in Cyprus participated in the strike. Two Royal Air Force Voyager air-to-air refueling tankers supported the mission. The Ministry of Defence announced that it had targeted two sites. The first site, located at Bani in northwestern Yemen, had been used to launch reconnaissance and attack drones. The second site was the Abs Airport, which, according to the MoD, had been utilized for launching both cruise missiles and drones over the Red Sea. Explosions were reported in Sanaa, Hodeidah and Dhamar. The targets included logistics centres, air defense systems and weapons storage sites. According to Al-Masirah, a Houthi-run news channel, Hodeida International Airport, Taiz International Airport, al-Dailami Air Base (which shares the runway with Sanaa International Airport), an airport near Hajjah, and a camp east of Saada were hit.

13 January

At 3:45 a.m. Yemen time (UTC+3) the US unilaterally performed an additional strike on a radar site near Sanaa, which Al-Masirah reported was at Al-Dailami Air Base. The US Central Command said the "follow-on action" was conducted by the destroyer USS Carney using Tomahawk missiles. Later in the day, another attack was reported in Hodeida targeting a rocket launch site on the city's outskirts.

14 January

The US military said that one of its fighter jets intercepted a Houthi anti-ship cruise missile launched from Hodeida heading towards the direction of the USS Laboon. It, along with the UK, also denied carrying out what the Houthis claimed was another strike on Hodeida on the same day, suggesting that the explosion was caused by a misfiring Houthi missile.

Assessments

According to Lt. Gen. Douglas Sims, the director of the US military's Joint Staff, the strikes successfully achieved their objective of damaging the Houthis' ability to launch complex drone and missile attacks similar to the one they conducted on 10 January. Two US officials, speaking to The New York Times, estimated that the strikes had damaged or destroyed about 20 to 30 percent of the Houthis' offensive capability. Despite damaging or destroying about 90 percent of the targets struck, the officials added that locating Houthi targets had proved to be more challenging than anticipated.

Reactions

Domestic

Yemeni government

The internationally recognized Government of Yemen issued a statement to Saba News Agency strongly condemning military actions by the Houthis blaming them for "dragging the country into a military confrontation arena for propaganda purposes" and "misleadingly linking it to support for Palestinians".

The government reaffirmed its right to enhance security in the Red Sea region, saying stability there and globally "cannot be achieved except by restoring the legitimate state institutions in Yemen." Reaffirming its support for the Palestinian cause, the Yemeni government warned that "the Israeli aggression in occupied territories risks further destabilizing the region and threatening international peace and security".

Houthi government

Protests in the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, in the aftermath of the missile strikes

Houthi deputy foreign minister Hussein al-Izzi called the attacks "blatant aggression" and said the US and UK would "pay a heavy price" in an interview with Al-Masirah. Similarly, high-ranking Houthi official Ali al-Qahoum vowed there would be retaliation. Mohammed Abdulsalam, a spokesman for the group, announced that the Houthis would continue to target Israeli ships or any ships heading to "the ports of occupied Palestine," saying that the US and UK were wrong to think that the strikes "would deter Yemen from supporting Palestine and Gaza".

Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior Houthi official, stated, "Every individual in this world is faced with two choices that have no third: Either to stand with the victims of genocide or to stand with its perpetrators."

Following the initial strikes on 12 January, protests attended by hundreds of thousands of people were held in Sanaa and in other Houthi-controlled cities such as Hodeida and Ibb, to denounce the US and British military actions, with demonstrators chanting "Death to America" and "Death to Israel".

Participants

United States

Reactions from the US Congress were mixed, with some supporting the strikes and others condemning Biden for using military force without congressional approval. Some critics said that in accordance with Article 1 of the Constitution, Biden needed to seek authorization from Congress before initiating military action. Under Article Two of the United States Constitution, the president has the limited authority to take defensive military action without Congressional approval, though supporters and opponents of the strikes disagree that the strikes can be considered defensive. Legal experts have argued that ambiguity in existing law allows for Congress to place limits on the president's authority to take military action without its approval. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell welcomed the action but said the president's decision was overdue. Biden said that he has sent a message to Iran with the Yemen strikes.

Joe Biden stated that the "defensive action follows this extensive diplomatic campaign and Houthi rebels' escalating attacks against commercial vessels" and added that he would "not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary". Following the airstrike on 13 January, Biden said that the US had sent a "private message" to Iran regarding the Houthis.

Protesters from Code Pink and the ANSWER Coalition gathered outside the White House several hours after the strikes. In New York City, pro-Palestinian protestors gathered at Times Square.

United Kingdom

Rishi Sunak said that the strikes stemmed from the principle of self-defense. He also confirmed that the UK received non-operational assistance and support from the Netherlands, Canada, and Bahrain.

The UK noted that initial indications suggest the Houthis' ability to threaten commercial shipping has "taken a blow". The Liberal Democrats and the Green Party of England and Wales, criticized the Sunak government for bypassing parliament, while the leader of the Scottish National Party in the House of Commons, Stephen Flynn, said "It is incumbent upon the UK Government to appraise Parliament as soon as possible and MPs must therefore be recalled to Westminster".

Other countries

• Australia: Defence Minister Richard Marles said to reporters the decision to launch the strikes "was not taken lightly", saying that the action taken was about "maintaining freedom of navigation on the high seas". The Australian Greens, a crossbench party, condemned the government, stating that support for US and British strikes amounted to "a dangerous escalation at a time for peace".
• Canada: Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly and Defence Minister Bill Blair endorsed the attacks, with both of them stating the strikes were "consistent with the UN Charter".
• China: Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning urged restraint.
• Cyprus: Foreign Ministry spokesman Theodoros Gotsis said that the Cypriot government was in "constant communication with the UK" within the framework set by the Treaty of Establishment regarding the use of British military bases in the country. He also called for an "immediate end to all actions that threaten free and safe navigation", given the country's "significant maritime footprint" in the region. The Cyprus Peace Council said British participation in the airstrikes in Yemen was turning Cyprus into a "war base" and announced plans to hold a demonstration outside the RAF Akrotiri base on 14 January.
• Denmark: Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen stated Denmark's full support for the strikes.
• Egypt: The Foreign Ministry expressed "deep concern" over the escalation of military operations in the Red Sea and air strikes in Yemen, and has also called for "uniting" international and regional efforts to reduce instability in the region.
• France: Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné reaffirmed France's condemnation of Houthi strikes on commercial vessels, stating that "with those armed actions, the Houthis bear the extremely serious responsibility of the escalation in the region". However, the French government did not express support for the US and UK air strikes.
• Germany: Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock expressed the German government's political support for the military strike, and said it was carried out "in accordance with the individual and collective right to self-defense of the United Nations Charter".
• Iran: The Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes as a "clear violation of Yemen's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and a violation of international laws.
• Netherlands: Prime Minister Mark Rutte expressed support for the attacks, stating "the US-British action is based on the right of self-defence, aims to protect free passage and is focused on de-escalation."
• New Zealand: Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins expressed support for the strikes, with Peters stating that the "strikes support international security and trade, on which New Zealanders rely". Collins remarked that the strikes were "a good example of the international community uniting to address a serious threat to international security".
• Oman: Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Al-Busaidi said the attack went against his country's advice and that it would only add fuel to an extremely dangerous situation. State media reported that the Omani government denounced the military action from "friendly countries".
• Russia: Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova condemned the attack. Presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the strikes "illegitimate" under international law but also called on the Houthis to stop attacking commercial vessels, which he described as "extremely wrong".
• Saudi Arabia: The Foreign Ministry called for restraint and "avoiding escalation."
• Turkey: President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused the United Kingdom of attempting to make the region surrounding the Red Sea "a sea of blood".

Militant groups

• Hamas: Senior official Sami Abu Zuhri said in a press statement that "the US-UK aggression against the Yemeni forces' sites provokes the entire nation and indicates the intention to expand the conflict zone beyond Gaza's boundaries, which has repercussions".
• Hezbollah: The Media Relation Office condemned "the blatant US-UK aggression against brotherly Yemen, its security and sovereignty".
• Palestinian Islamic Jihad: In a press statement, the group expressed support for the Houthis and argued that "this aggression comes as part of the US and UK military aid to Israel and proves that the US administration is the one responsible for the Israeli genocidal war against the Palestinian people in Gaza".
• Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine: In a statement the group condemned the strikes against Yemen and stated that the "Evil coalition's malicious goals are not to protect maritime navigation in the Red Sea, but rather to protect the security of the Zionist entity."
• Prior to the strikes, the Islamic Resistance in Iraq said that if Yemen is attacked by the US and UK, "we will attack the Americans' base with everything in our power". After the initial airstrikes, there were reports of a bomb and sirens being heard at the US Embassy in Iraq.

Shipping organizations

The Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), covering 62% of world shipping tonnage, recommended members halt Red Sea transit for up to 72 hours as a result of the strikes. The International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (Intertanko) recommended members halt Red Sea transit for up to 24 hours.

Intergovernmental organizations

• NATO: A spokesperson said "these strikes were defensive and designed to preserve freedom of navigation in one of the world's most vital waterways."
• United Nations: A spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that he called for all sides "not to escalate the situation in the interest of peace and stability in the Red Sea and the wider region."