Mounting concerns of a full-scale regional conflict in the Middle East are being fueled by threats from Houthi rebels, who have warned that the United States and the United Kingdom will face severe repercussions for their recent strikes on numerous targets in Yemen.
Brigadier General Yahya Saree, a military spokesperson for the Houthi rebels, stated in a recorded address that 73 strikes had hit five regions of Yemen under their control on Thursday. These attacks resulted in the death of at least five individuals and left six others injured.
"The American and British enemy bears full responsibility for its criminal aggression against our Yemeni people, and it will not go unanswered and unpunished," Saree declared.
Echoing these sentiments, senior Houthi official Hussein al-Ezzi warned in a post on X, "America and Britain will undoubtedly have to prepare to pay a heavy price and bear all the dire consequences of this blatant aggression."
Mohammed Abdul-Salam, the chief negotiator and spokesperson for the Iran-backed group, criticized the US and Britain for their "foolishness with this treacherous aggression." He asserted that their actions would not deter Yemen from supporting Palestine and Gaza, and pledged to continue targeting "Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of occupied Palestine."
In recent weeks, the Islamist extremist group has targeted ships with little or no connection to Israel, disrupting commerce in the region and prompting some of the world's largest shipping companies to halt operations in the Red Sea, a vital trade route.
President Biden stated that the joint US-UK strikes on Yemen were a "direct response" to these maritime attacks, which he said had endangered US personnel, civilian mariners, and partners, jeopardized trade, and threatened freedom of navigation.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, speaking publicly for the first time since his undisclosed hospitalization, warned of "further costs" if Houthi rebels continued their attacks on Red Sea shipping. "Today's coalition action sends a clear message to the Houthis that they will bear the costs if they do not end their illegal attacks," he said.
However, Yemeni analysts predict that the strikes will only bolster Houthi popularity in the region and its support for Hamas. On Friday, hundreds rallied, chanting anti-American and anti-Israeli slogans.
Hezbollah, currently engaged in conflict with Israeli forces on the nation's northern border, condemned the "blatant American-British aggression," which it claimed confirmed the US's complicity in the "tragedies and massacres committed by the Zionist enemy in Gaza and the region."
Iranian officials also condemned the attacks, describing them as "a clear violation of Yemen's sovereignty and territorial integrity and a breach of international laws." They warned that these attacks would only contribute to insecurity and instability in the region.
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