Sunak: US-UK Attacks on Yemen to 'De-escalate tensions, Restore Stability to Region'

On Friday, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said that the UK-US attacks in Yemen are to “de-escalate tensions and restore stability to the region”. 

He also said, during an interview with Sky Sports, that attacks of the Houthi on shipping in the Red Sea threaten the economy and have a “damaging impact on people’s shopping."

According to Houthi Spokesperson, the strikes killed at least five people, and wounded six.

US warplanes, ships and submarines along with British fighters attacked sites in Yemen Thursday associated with the Houthi rebels who have been firing dozens of drones and missiles into Red Sea shipping lanes, USA Today reported.

The strikes represent a significant escalation of the U.S. involvement in Middle East fighting amid Israel’s war in Gaza. They followed the 27th Houthi attack since late November earlier Thursday. In recent weeks, the Pentagon has also attacked Iranian-backed militants in Iraq and Syria who have targeted U.S. troops there with rocket attacks.

Today, at my direction, U.S. military forces — together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands — successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most vital waterways," President Joe Biden said late Thursday.

The U.S. president said the response of the international community to the Houthi attacks has been "united and resolute." The governments of Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, and the United Kingdom issued a statement shortly after the U.S.-led air strikes, pledging solidarity alongside the U.S.