Palestinian Territories
Palestinian militant group Hamas said on Sunday (Feb 4) that the wave of American and British strikes in Yemen would bring "further turmoil" to the Middle East. On Saturday, the militaries of the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) launched strikes against 36 Houthi targets at 13 locations in Yemen, the third such joint operation in response to repeated attacks on Red Sea shipping by the Iran-backed rebels.
Citing a statement from Hamas, a report by the news agency AFP said that the Palestinian militant group called the bombing of Houthi targets "a blatant assault on the sovereignty of a sister Arab country, and an escalation that will drag the region into further turmoil."
The Houthis did not announce any deaths in these strikes. According to the Pentagon, the strikes hit buried weapons storage facilities, missile systems, launchers, and other capabilities the Houthis used to attack Red Sea shipping.
Houthis vow response after strikes
Also on Sunday, Houthi rebels vowed a response to the American and British strikes. "The strikes will not pass without a response and consequences," Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea, the news agency Reuters reported.
Last night, @RoyalAirForce Typhoons successfully took out specific Houthi military targets in Yemen, further degrading the Houthis’ capabilities.
Recent attacks on UK and international vessels are unacceptable. It’s our duty to protect innocent lives and preserve freedom. pic.twitter.com/AV1a22G8QM
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) February 4, 2024
"These attacks will not deter us from our ethical, religious, and humanitarian stance in support of the resilient Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip," Sarea added and pointed out that the group would press on.
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The Houthis control swathes of Yemen and have said their attacks in the Red Sea are in solidarity with Palestinians as Israel continues its offensive in the Gaza Strip.
The US has carried out more than a dozen strikes against Houthi targets in the past several weeks. Sunday's strikes come a day after the US launched separate strikes against Iran-linked targets in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for the killing of three US soldiers in Jordan last week.
US, UK fuelling chaos: Iran reacts to Yemen strikes
Condemning the strikes in Yemen, Iran said on Sunday that the US and the UK contradicted their declared intention of avoiding a wider Middle East conflict. In a statement, Iran Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanani said the strikes were in "clear contradiction with the repeated claims of Washington and London that they do not want the expansion of war and conflict in the region."
Kanani accused the two countries of "fuelling chaos, disorder, insecurity and instability" by supporting Israel in its war against Hamas.
(With inputs from agencies)