Yemen Monitor/Newsroom:
The New York Times announced, quoting a US official, on Saturday evening that the US has begun carrying out military strikes against Houthi-controlled targets in Yemen.
According to the sources, the strikes ordered by US President Donald Trump targeted radars, air defenses, missile systems, and drones.
The newspaper explained that “the strikes aim to open international shipping lanes in the Red Sea, which the Houthis have disrupted, and that the US bombing aims to send a warning signal to Iran.”
According to US officials, targeting the Houthi arsenal may continue for several days and may increase in scope depending on their response. Security officials also want a stronger campaign that will deprive the Houthis of control over parts of the country.
These strikes are a new development in the ongoing conflict in Yemen, and raise questions about their impact on the political and security situation in the region.
Additionally, US officials said that the strikes were carried out by fighter jets from the aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman in the Red Sea.
They pointed out that “officials in Washington and the Middle East are anticipating a counterattack from the Houthis.”
On Wednesday, the Houthi group said it would resume banning the passage of ships through the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, or the Gulf of Aden with immediate effect, after a halt that began in January with a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
