Yesterday, the United States carried out a series of 47 airstrikes inside Yemen against the Ansarallah movement, also known as the Houthis. According to reports, at least 31 people were killed in the bombings. The US says it aimed to eliminate senior Houthi leadership and destroy weapons that were ready for launch against Israel, as well as radar facilities and air defense systems.
Today, US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz said that the attacks were a 'message to the Ayatollah' and that Iran could be the next target:
The next campaign in Yemen may target Iranian ships anchored off the Yemeni coast, or Iranian military officers training the Houthis.
Mike Waltz, US National Security Advisor
President Joe Biden's administration previously considered striking Iranian assets in Yemen, including an Iranian intelligence-gathering vessel anchored off the Yemeni coast. The vessel in question, the cargo ship 'MV Behshad', has been anchored in the Red Sea since 2021. It allegedly functions as an offshore surveillance, command and liaison base for Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), and has played a supporting role in coordinating Yemen's naval blockade and the attacks on Israeli-linked shipping.
The 'MV Behshad' intelligence-gathering vessel took over the role of Iran's previous naval asset in the Red Sea, also a cargo vessel; the 'MV Saviz', which was tugged away after being put out of commission in 2021, when it sustained severe damage to its hull as a result of a limpet mine attack, an operation widely suspected to have been carried out by Israel.
Instead of striking Iranian assets in Yemen, President Biden opted in 2023 to strike bases belonging to the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella organization consisting of different Shiite militias fighting against the U.S. occupation of Iraq. At the time, directly attacking Iranian assets was seen as too risky, but President Trump may opt for a bolder approach. Trump slammed Biden's 'pathetically weak' approach to Yemen yesterday, after carrying out the first wave of airstrikes.
In an official statement today, the Houthis announced that they carried out a qualitative operation against US Navy ships in the Red Sea in response to the US airstrikes, launching 18 ballistic and cruise missiles at the USS Harry S. Truman as well as a suicide drone. They stated that they would continue to support Gaza by implementing the naval blockade against Israel, and that they would continue to target US warships in response to any aggression.
The American aggression will only increase the steadfastness, faith, and resilience of our beloved Yemen and its steadfast, faithful and struggling people.
Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesman, Yahya Saree.