The United States has launched airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen for the second consecutive night, a US defense official confirmed on Sunday.
While details on the types of weapons, specific targets, or exact locations of the strikes were not immediately available, explosions were reported in Yemen’s Amran and Saada governorates, located north of the capital, Sanaa. These areas have been previous strike sites for the US.
On Saturday, US fighter jets carried out strikes on Houthi positions across at least three locations. These targeted facilities were reportedly used by the Iran-backed rebel group to store advanced conventional weapons, which have been employed in attacks on US warships and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The Red Sea is a critical waterway that connects to the Suez Canal, through which 10% to 15% of global trade flows. Ongoing attacks in the region have effectively shut down parts of this strategic passage.
The Houthis, along with Hamas and Hezbollah, are part of an Iran-led alliance that spans Yemen, Syria, Gaza, and Iraq. This alliance has conducted attacks against Israel and its allies since the conflict in Gaza began, pledging to continue their strikes until a ceasefire is achieved in the Palestinian enclave.
The Houthi attacks come as Yemen faces a severe humanitarian crisis, exacerbated since 2014 when Houthi forces seized the capital, Sanaa, and overthrew the internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government.
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