24 countries condemn Houthi attacks in Red Sea

LONDON

The UK and US released a joint statement from 24 countries on the latest strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, condemning the Iran-backed group's targeting of ships in the Red Sea.

"In response to continued illegal and reckless Houthi attacks against vessels transiting the Red Sea and surrounding waterways, the armed forces of the United States and the United Kingdom, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, conducted additional strikes against eight targets in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen," said the joint statement issued late Tuesday.

The strikes were carried out "in accordance with the inherent right of individual and collective self-defense, consistent with the UN Charter," said the statement by the governments of Albania, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Guinea-Bissau, Hungary, Italy, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Poland, South Korea, Romania, the UK, and US.

"These strikes were designed to disrupt and degrade the capability of the Houthis to continue their attacks on global trade and innocent mariners from around the world while avoiding escalation," it added.

Condemning Houthi attacks since mid-November, the countries said those supplying Houthis with the weapons to conduct these attacks are "violating UN Security Council Resolution 2216 and international law."

It added: "The January 22nd international response to the continuing Houthi attacks demonstrated shared resolve to uphold navigational rights and freedoms, and to defend the lives of mariners from illegal and unjustifiable attacks."

The US and British forces said they conducted the strikes Monday against eight Houthi targets in Yemen in response to the group’s attacks in the Red Sea, according to an earlier joint statement.

Following the strikes, Yemen's Houthis vowed to retaliate as Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said: "These assaults won't go unpunished."

Tensions have escalated in the Red Sea amid Houthi attacks on commercial ships suspected of having links with Israel.

The Houthis say their attacks aim to pressure Israel to halt its deadly onslaught on the Gaza Strip.

Israel has pounded the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7, killing at least 25,295 Palestinians and injuring 63,000. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.