US, UK to Bear Severe Consequences for Blatant Aggression: Sanaa

By Al Mayadeen English

US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak confirm their forces carried out an aggression against targets in Yemen.

US President Joe Biden confirmed on Friday that US and British forces had launched air strikes against targets in Yemen in "defensive action" amid the operations carried out by the Yemeni Armed Forces against Israeli and Israeli-bound ships in the Red and Arabian seas in support of Gaza.

In a statement, Biden said the aggression on Yemen was carried out with "support" from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands, adding that he "will not hesitate" to order further military action if needed.

Politico cited a US Defense Department official as claiming that the strikes targeted radar systems, and storage and launch sites for drones, cruise and ballistic missiles across "a large area of Yemen."

US officials mentioned that "fighter jets from bases in the region and off the aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower bombed targets" in Yemen, The New York Times reported.

"These targeted strikes are a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world's most critical commercial routes," Biden indicated.

US media cited officials as saying that the aggression involved fighter jets and Tomahawk missiles.

According to Biden, the aggression followed an "unprecedented" spate of 27 alleged Yemeni attacks on ships in the busy international sea route "including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history."

On his part, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also confirmed in a statement that the air force of the United Kingdom carried out "necessary and proportionate" airstrikes against military facilities in Yemen.

British Defense Minister Grant Shapps announced that his country participated with four Typhoon aircraft that took off from Cyprus and targeted a site in Bani Shamlan northwest of Yemen and the Abbs airport.

In a joint statement, the United States and its allies claimed that stabilizing crucial Red Sea shipping lanes remains their goal.

"Our aim remains to de-escalate tensions and restore stability in the Red Sea, but let our message be clear: we will not hesitate to defend lives and protect the free flow of commerce in one of the world's most critical waterways in the face of continued threats," said a joint statement from the governments of Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand, South Korea, United Kingdom and the United States.

US, UK to bear severe consequences: Sanaa

Shortly after the strikes, Hussein al-Azzi, the Deputy Foreign Minister in the Sanaa government, warned that the United States and Britain must be "prepared to pay a high price and bear the severe consequences for their blatant aggression."

Nasr al-Din Amer, Deputy Head of the Yemeni Ansar Allah Media Authority, clarified that the Yemeni Armed Forces would officially announce any Yemeni response to the aggression.

Earlier, the leader of the Yemeni Ansar Allah movement, Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, warned that any American aggression on Yemen will not go unanswered, affirming that Sanaa is ready for any direct confrontation with Washington.

Saudi Arabia voices "great concern" over air strikes on Yemen

The Saudi Foreign Ministry stated that Saudi Arabia is following US and British air strikes on neighboring Yemen with "great concern", urging against escalation.

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is following with great concern the military operations taking place in the Red Sea region and the air strikes on a number of sites in the Republic of Yemen," the statement said, calling for "self-restraint and avoiding escalation."

Russia requests emergency UNSC meeting over US, UK strikes on Yemen

The Russian mission to the United Nations also said it has requested that an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council over the US and its allies' strikes against targets in Yemen be held on Friday.

"Russia has requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council for January 12 in connection with the US and UK strikes in Yemen," the mission said on Telegram.

Following the recent aggression on Yemen, both Republican and Democratic members of the US Congress expressed concerns about the strikes.

"These airstrikes have not been authorized by Congress. The Constitution is clear: Congress has the sole authority to authorize military involvement in overseas conflicts. Every president must first come to Congress and ask for military authorization, regardless of party," Democratic US Congresswoman Val Hoyle said in a statement on Thursday via social media platform X.

Fellow House Democrat Ro Khanna reiterated Hoyle’s concerns in a statement, stressing that Biden must seek congressional approval before involving the US in another Middle East conflict.

Republican US Senator Mike Lee replied to Khanna’s post on X and expressed his agreement. "The US Constitution matters, regardless of party affiliation," he said.

Renewed aggression on Yemeni areas

The official Yemeni news agency SABA reported that the aggression targeted the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, as well as the provinces of Hodeidah, Saada, Dhamar, Taiz, and Hajjah.

According to SABA, the American-British aggression focused on the al-Dailami airbase near Sanaa International Airport, where it was targeted with four airstrikes.

The aggression also targeted the vicinity of Hodeidah Airport, areas in the Zabid district in the coastal province of Hodeidah, the Kahlan camp east of Saada city in the north, as well as the Abbs local airport in the Hajjah province in the northwest.

Additionally, the aggression targeted Taiz International Airport and the 22nd Brigade camp in the areas of Hawban and Jund, north of Taiz city, southwest of the country.

The Yemeni news agency pointed out that the targeted sites had previously been subjected to numerous airstrikes by the Saudi coalition and had been rendered non-operational since the beginning of the war in Yemen in 2015.

Al Mayadeen's correspondent mentioned that the American-British airstrikes were renewed, targeting the Takhia area in Saada, northern Yemen, and the Bajil district in Hodeidah, west of the country.

Our correspondent reported continuous overflights of American and British fighter jets in the airspace of the provinces of Hodeidah and Saada.

The director of Al Mayadeen's office in Yemen reported that no material damage was reported to the al-Dailami military base, as a limited fire in its vicinity was quickly extinguished following the aggression.