After weeks of terrorism, two nations have finally struck the Islamic Houthi terrorists in the Red Sea.

From Breitbart. The ability of Iran proxy Houthi terrorists to threaten merchant shipping “has taken a blow”, the MOD said after a major strike against 60 targets in Yemen by the U.S. and UK by warships, aircraft, and a submarine.

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The United States and the United Kingdom made good on days of warnings that continued attacks on global trade in the Red Sea would incur “consequences” overnight into Friday morning with what had been described as a “massive retaliatory strike” on Houthi targets in Yemen.

Iran-backed Shiite Houthi militias have been striking at civilian merchant ships carrying the world’s trade including cargo containers, cars, and oil through the strategically crucial Red Sea in solidarity with Hamas’s attack on Israel since November. According to the United States, they have launched 27 separate attacks, some of which have hit targets.

United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said the strikes targeted “radar systems, air defense systems, and storage and launch sites for one-way attack unmanned aerial systems, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles”. The Associated Press, citing anonymous defence sources, said 60 targets at 16 sites were attacked in the strike. …

The British minister of defence Grant Shapps said in a statement Friday morning that four RAF Typhoons launched from the British sovereign base in Cyprus and “conducted precision strikes on two Houthi military targets alongside US forces”. …

The UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) said in a statement of the targets that: “One was a site at Bani in north-western Yemen used to launch reconnaissance and attack drones. A number of buildings involved in drone operations were targeted by our aircraft.

“The other location struck by our aircraft was the airfield at Abbs. Intelligence has shown that it has been used to launch both cruise missiles and drones over the Red Sea. Several key targets at the airfield were identified and prosecuted by our aircraft.”

The MOD said in terms of results of the night’s raid by the U.S. and UK: “The detailed results of the strikes are being assessed, but early indications are that the Houthis’ ability to threaten merchant shipping has taken a blow”.

The strikes came hours after the U.S. and UK warned there would be “consequences” if Houthi rebels kept attempting to strike merchant shipping, and the British defence minister said in terms of a Western response, observers should “watch this space”. President Biden said in a statement following this morning’s retaliation that Houthis “endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most vital waterways… These attacks have endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardized trade, and threatened freedom of navigation.” …

The President said he would authorise further strikes “as necessary”.

One of the clear messages coming through U.S. and UK communications about the strikes is how they commanded further support than simply the pair of nations, appealing to an idea of a broader coalition against the Iran-backed Houthis. Centcom said the strikes received unspecific support from “Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, and Bahrain” and President Biden said “a coalition of more than 20 nations committed to defending international shipping and deterring Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.”

Perhaps detecting something was afoot, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi pre-empted the strikes with a statement on Thursday, promising revenge of his own. He is reported to have said: “Any American attack will not remain without a response. The response will be greater than the attack that was carried out with twenty drones and a number of missiles… We are more determined to target ships linked to Israel, and we will not back down from that.” …

While this is a serious blow to the terrorists, they are not done fighting. Share this article to encourage others to continue praying for protection from the Houthi threat.

(Excerpt from Breitbart. Photo Credit: CENTCOM)