An RAF Typhoon aircraft takes off to join the US-led coalition from RAF Akrotiri to conduct air strikes against military targets in Yemen, aimed at the Iran-backed Houthi militia that has been targeting international shipping in the Red Sea, in Cyprus, in this handout picture released on January 12, 2024.
Reuters/UK MOD
Washington: US President Joe Biden said on Thursday that the United States and Britain, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, had conducted strikes in Yemen at sites used by Houthi "rebels."
"These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea—including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history," Biden said in a statement released by the White House.
"These attacks have endangered US personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardized trade, and threatened freedom of navigation," Biden said.
Biden said he would "not hesitate" to direct further measures to protect people and the free flow of commerce.