A Houthi military helicopter flies over the Galaxy Leader cargo ship in the Red Sea in November 2023. Experts believe western allies most likely to target coastal sites in attempt to halt spate of Houthi attacks in Red Sea Middle East crisis – live updates Britain and the US are poised to launch strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen , as the leader of the rebel group promises to respond to any assault with fresh attacks on shipping in the Red Sea. Western defence sources indicated preparations were intensifying on Thursday in response to a Houthi attack of 21 missiles and drones aimed at US and UK warships on Tuesday night, although its scale and timing remain secret. Asked about potential US strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, the national security spokesperson, John Kirby, said: “I’m not going to telegraph our punches one way or another here. We’re gonna do what we have to do, to counter and defeat these threats that the Houthis keep throwing up on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.” On Wednesday, Antony Blinken, the US secretary of state, said “there will be consequences” following the Houthi attack – while the British defence secretary, Grant Shapps, told journalists to “watch this space”. In response, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of the Iran-backed group, which controls the north and west of Yemen, said on Thursday that if struck the Houthis would fight back, suggesting any conflict in the Red Sea would be extended. “Any American attack will not remain without a response. The response will be greater than the attack that was carried out with 20 drones and a number of missiles,” al-Houthi said in a televised address. “We are more determined to target ships linked to Israel, and we will not back down from that,” […]
Click here to visit source. US and UK prepare to launch strikes against Houthis in Yemen