LONDON

UK Defense Secretary John Healey on Wednesday confirmed that British forces, in coordination with the US, launched airstrikes on a Houthi military facility in Yemen on Tuesday.

The operation targeted infrastructure used in the manufacture of drones, which have been used in repeated attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, Healey claimed.

Speaking at the House of Commons, Healey described the action as a “limited, targeted” response aimed at minimizing civilian risk.

RAF Typhoon FGR4 aircraft, supported by Voyager air-to-air refuelling tankers, deployed Paveway IV precision-guided bombs against a site located approximately 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of Sanaa, Yemen's capital.

“This action was taken in collective self-defense and to uphold the freedom of navigation, as Britain has always done,” Healey said, confirming that all UK personnel involved in the mission returned safely to base.

He outlined four key strategic objectives for the strike: restoring safe passage through international waters, degrading Houthi military capability, reinforcing regional security, and protecting the UK’s economic interests.

He emphasized the vital role of the Red Sea in global commerce, noting that it carries around 12% of global trade and 30% of container traffic annually.

Healey dismissed any connection between Houthi actions in the Red Sea and the ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza, claiming the group’s attacks on shipping predate the current phase of the conflict.

However, widely reported timelines — including by the BBC — show that while the Houthis initially launched drones and missiles toward Israel in solidarity with Palestinians, most of those were intercepted.

It wasn’t until 19 Nov. 2023, over a month into Israel’s attacks on Gaza, that the group seized a commercial vessel in the Red Sea — marking the start of their maritime operations, BBC reported.

“These attacks do absolutely nothing for the Palestinian people or the push for a lasting peace,” Healey claimed.

“The Houthis continue to threaten global shipping and regional stability,” he said. “This cannot continue.”

He said Houthis have carried out more than 320 attacks in the region.

The Houthis have targeted ships passing through the Red and Arabian seas, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden since November 2023 in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where more than 52,000 people have been killed in a brutal Israeli assault for more than 19 months.

The group halted attacks when a Gaza ceasefire was declared in January between Israel and the Palestinian resistance group Hamas but resumed them after Israel renewed airstrikes on Gaza last month.