WASHINGTON – President Biden acknowledged today that a series of US airstrikes targeting the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have failed to stop the terrorist group’s attacks on Red Sea shipping.
“Are the airstrikes in Yemen effective?” a reporter asked Biden, 81, as he left the White House for an event in North Carolina.
“Well, when you say ‘work,’ do they stop the Houthis? No,” said the president.
“Will they continue? Yes.”
Early Thursday, the US military launched its fifth airstrike against the Houthis since last week, less than 24 hours after neutralizing 14 missiles that officials deemed an “immediate threat”.
An explosion occurred following the attack during the US-led offensive on Houthi targets, in Dhamar, Yemen. via REUTERS An RAF Typhoon plane took off to join the US-led coalition in carrying out airstrikes against military targets in Yemen. Sgt Lee Goddard/MOD/SWNS
“I know you saw the report from Central Command last night about some additional strikes that we did to take out various missiles that were being prepared to fire south of the Red Sea,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
“We did it again this morning, striking some anti-ship missiles – some anti-ship missiles that we have reason to believe are being prepared for fire that will occur south of the Red Sea,” he added.
Since November 19, the Houthis have launched dozens of attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, using weapons provided by Iran. While the US began an international coalition dubbed “Operation Prosperity Guardian” to patrol key shipping lanes in December, it only began attacking terrorist operations on January 11.
Biden acknowledged that the airstrikes against the Houthis were not working but added that they would continue. AP Pressed Wednesday about why the Biden administration believed the renaming would deter Houthi attacks when airstrikes would not, Kirby said the move was just one piece of the pressure puzzle. Yuri Gripas / Pool via CNP / SplashNews.com
“We have to be able to act in self-defense not just for our ships and sailors, but for merchant ships and sailors and international shipping in the Red Sea,” Kirby said on Thursday. “… These attacks will continue as long as they have to continue to try to disrupt and degrade the ability of the Houthis to continue to carry out these attacks.”
While strikes earlier last week saw participation by coalition forces, the US has carried out the latest strikes on its own.
“The Commander of the Central Command has the right when he sees a threat posed to our forces or commercial shipping to take the actions he needs to,” said Pentagon deputy spokeswoman Sabrina Singh on Thursday, “that’s why you saw the strikes yesterday and early this morning. missiles that are preparing or preparing to be launched into the Red Sea.”
The US military seized Iranian-made missile components bound for Yemen’s Houthis from a ship in the Arabian Sea. US Central Command (CENTCOM)/AFP via Getty Images A Houthi policeman takes part in a protest against the recent US-led attack on Houthi targets, near Sanaa, Yemen. Reuters
While Singh acknowledged that the strikes had not yet stopped the Houthi attacks, he added that the US had “destroyed” some of the capabilities of the Tehran-backed group.
“We never said that the Houthis will immediately stop – that is something they have to make that decision and that calculation to do what is best for their interests,” he said. “You have seen that we have been able to degrade and disrupt and destroy a large number of their capabilities since Thursday.
“But it is up to them when they decide that they want to stop interfering with commercial shipping by innocent seafarers transiting the Red Sea,” he added.
The latest strike comes a day after the White House announced it had added the Houthis back to the list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists — less than three years after Biden removed the designation in February 2021.
Followers of the Yemeni Houthi movement ride in a vehicle carrying the coffin of a Houthi fighter killed in a recent attack with internationally recognized government forces, during a funeral procession on January 18, 2024, in Sana’a, Yemen. Getty Images
Pressed Wednesday about why the Biden administration believed the renaming would deter Houthi attacks when airstrikes would not, Kirby said the move was just one piece of the pressure puzzle.
“It is a way to hold the Houthis accountable, [an] an additional way to hold them accountable,” he said. “If you look at the levers of national power – diplomacy, information, military, economic – we are using all the levers of national power and frankly international power to try to convince the Houthis to stop this attack.”
“And if they don’t, and they obviously don’t, to make sure that we hold them accountable for that,” he added.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
