After President Joe Biden vowed earlier in the day to strike Houthi rebels again if the group did not stop attacking ships, U.S. forces carried out another a series of strikes on a Houthi-controlled site in Yemen on Friday night, according to multiple reports.
The Associated Press (AP) and Reuters cited unnamed U.S. officials as saying a Houthi radar site that was deemed a threat to maritime traffic was the target for the latest attack.
On Thursday, the U.S. and U.K.—with support from other allies—launched a series of airstrikes on positions held by Iran-backed Houthis inside Yemen. Biden later said in a statement released by the White House that the strikes were “in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea.”
Photo by MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP via Getty Images
Thursday’s strikes followed National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby warning the Houthis on Wednesday to stop the assaults or “bear the consequences.” The militia instead pledged to continue attacks in what they said is a protest against Israel’s military action in Gaza.
U.S. officials who spoke to the AP said the U.S. and British militaries on Thursday had targeted more than a dozen sites used by the Houthis with fighter jets and missiles. The officials told the AP that targets included air defense systems, logistical hubs and weapons supply sites.
On Friday, Biden told members of the press during a stop in Pennsylvania that there would be more U.S. strikes on Houthi targets if the group didn’t stop attacking ships in the Red Sea.
“We will make sure that we respond to the Houthis if they continue this outrageous behavior, along with our allies,” Biden said.
The AP reported that when asked if he thinks the Houthis are a terrorist group, the president answered: “I think they are.”
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email on Friday night for comment.
Thursday’s strikes resulted in criticism from some lawmakers in Biden’s own party.
Democratic Representative Ro Khanna of California called the military operation “unconstitutional” on CNN, while Mark Pocan—a Democratic representative for Wisconsin—wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that the U.S. “cannot risk getting entangled into another decades-long conflict without Congressional authorization.”
However, other members of Congress applauded Biden’s decision to strike Yemen, including a number of Republican lawmakers.
“I welcome the U.S. and coalition operations against the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists responsible for violently disrupting international commerce in the Red Sea and attacking American vessels,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said in a statement. “The United States and our allies must leave no room to doubt that the days of unanswered terrorist aggression are over.”
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.