US launches new wave of strikes on Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen to destroy radar facility amid fears of escalation in Middle East crisis

The US has unleashed a new wave of attacks against Houthi targets in Yemen.

The blitz on Friday came a day after the first attacks on more than 60 targets used by the Iran-backed rebels to attack ships in the waters near the Arabian Peninsula.

The second round of bombings was much smaller in scale and targeted a Houthi radar facility, an official confirmed.

It came after the Houthis fired at least one anti-ship missile earlier that day.

Biden had vowed to continue the bombardment if the Houthis refused to stop attacking ships in the Red Sea.

The attack on the radar facility came after the Houthis launched an anti-ship ballistic missile in retaliation for overnight attacks by US and British forces on Thursday. Pictured: two facilities along Yemen’s coast before and after the strikes

The latest round of strikes was smaller in scale than the first wave we saw on Thursday and pictured here

The official confirmed that the latest strikes were carried out unilaterally by the US.

Thursday’s blitz was a joint effort between the US, Britain and other allied countries and hit more than 60 targets. They killed five people and injured six, a Houthi army spokesman told CNN.

But U.S. officials determined that the additional site, a radar site, still posed a threat to maritime traffic, an official said.

President Joe Biden said on Friday that US airstrikes against the Houthi in Yemen were a success, adding that he was working with them to deliver a message to Iran.

“I don’t think there were any civilian casualties — that’s another reason why it’s a success,” Biden told reporters traveling with him in Pennsylvania.

The White House has said the airstrikes in Yemen, much of which is controlled by the Houthis, were in retaliation for months of attacks by the Red Sea Shipping Movement that the rebels are attacking in response to the ongoing war in Gaza.

However, their objectives have become increasingly arbitrary and have disrupted global shipping channels.

Asked if he has a message for Iran, Biden said: “I’ve already delivered the message to Iran.”

The president also noted that Tehran “does not want a war with us” but said he is prepared to bomb the Houthi again if they continue to attack US forces.

Biden had warned of further bombings if the Houthis did not stop attacking ships in the Red Sea. Pictured: A northern facility along the coast of Yemen on January 12, 2024 after airstrikes by the United States and Britain

“We will ensure that we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behavior,” he said.

Army Lt. Gen. Douglas A. Sims II, director of operations for the Joint Staff, said joint US and UK forces have launched more than 150 munitions from both maritime and air platforms against more than 16 locations controlled by Iran’s supported countries. militants on Thursday.

“At this time we are continuing to assess the combat damage of the various targets,” Sims said. “We have a lot of confidence in where our munitions hit.”

The deliberate attacks, which were carried out with non-operational support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands, were found to have hit multiple targets in each location.

Those targets included command and control nodes, ammunition depots, launch systems, production facilities and air defense radar systems used by the Houthis to launch attacks on ships operating in international waters.

“We know exactly the capabilities that the Houthis have deployed against the Red Sea and the Bab al Mandab,” Sims said. “This was solely intended to exploit opportunities that impede international freedom of navigation in international waters. We are confident that we have worked well on that.’

The large-scale attacks on Thursday came after the Houthis carried out their 27th attack on a ship since November 19 by firing an anti-ship missile into the Gulf of Aden.

In response, the Houthis vowed to make the US and its allies pay “absolutely and without hesitation.”

President Biden also faced criticism at home for not appearing before Congress before carrying out the strikes.

Anti-war protests also emerged, including in New York’s Times Square, where demonstrators called on the White House to end the bombings, fearing it could escalate into all-out war.