The US military says Houthi anti-ship missiles destroyed and hit targets in Iraq linked to armed groups aligned with Iran.
The US military launched new attacks in Yemen against Houthi anti-ship installations and missiles in Iraq targeting Iranian-backed armed groups it claims were behind missile and drone attacks on US troops in Iraq and Syria.
The attacks in Yemen, which took place at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday (23:30 GMT Tuesday), are the latest attacks against the Iran-aligned group that has been attacking ships in the Red Sea and has warned against will stop.
“US forces identified the missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined that they posed an imminent threat to US merchant vessels and Navy vessels in the region,” the military's Central Command said, adding that two missiles were destroyed in “self-autonomy”. defending”.
The Houthis, who control Yemen's most populated areas and support Hamas, say their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians amid relentless Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip.
US CENTCOM destroys anti-ship missiles of two Houthi terrorists
On January 24, at approximately 2:30 am (Sanaa time), US Central Command forces carried out strikes against two Houthi anti-ship missiles that were aimed at the southern Red Sea and were prepared to be launched. US… pic.twitter.com/l3CMPrDx92
— US Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 24, 2024
The Palestinian Health Ministry says more than 25,000 people have been killed and more than 63,000 injured in Israeli attacks on Gaza following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, in which Israeli officials said 1,139 people were killed.
Since the United States and its allies began attacking Houthi military sites on Jan. 11, the Pentagon says it has destroyed or degraded more than 25 missile launch and deployment facilities, more than 20 missiles, in addition to attacking drones, coastal radars and the group's aerial surveillance capabilities. and weapons storage areas.
Strikes in Iraq
Separately, on Wednesday, the United States attacked sites used by Iranian-backed armed groups in Iraq, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced, days after US troops in the country were attacked.
On Saturday, four US personnel suffered traumatic brain injuries after the Ain al-Asad air base in western Iraq was hit by multiple ballistic missiles and rockets allegedly fired by Iranian-backed militants.
“US military forces carried out necessary and proportionate strikes against three facilities used by the Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia and other Iranian-affiliated groups in Iraq,” Austin said in a statement.
“These precision strikes are a direct response to a series of escalating attacks against US and Coalition personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-sponsored militias,” he said.
Kataib Hezbollah military spokesman Jaafar al-Husseini said in a post on
Iraqi sources said at least two people were killed and two wounded in the latest attacks in Jurf al-Sakhar, south of the capital Baghdad, as well as in the al-Qaim area on the Syrian border.
The Iraqi military said the US attack harmed “security and stability” in the country.
“This unacceptable act undermines years of cooperation, blatantly violates Iraq's sovereignty and leads to irresponsible escalation at a time when the region faces the danger of expanding the conflict due to the immoral war of extermination faced by the Palestinian people,” said the Major General Yahya Rasool. he was quoted by the Iraqi News Agency.
A senior Iraqi official said the US airstrikes “do not help bring calm.” “The US side should increase pressure to stop the [Israeli] offensive in Gaza instead of attacking and bombing the bases of an Iraqi national body,” Qasim al-Araji, national security adviser, said in a post on X.
He was referring to the Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), also known as Hashd al-Shaabi, an alliance of former Iran-aligned paramilitary groups now integrated with Iraq's armed forces.
Iraq has also condemned previous such attacks, with Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani calling for the withdrawal of US-led coalition troops from the country.
Meanwhile, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday that the United States has asked China to urge Iran to rein in the Houthi rebels, but has seen few signs of help from Beijing. Washington has repeatedly raised the issue with senior Chinese officials over the past three months, she said.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken also raised the issue with his Chinese counterpart, according to the report, adding that U.S. officials believe there is little evidence that China has put any pressure on Iran to contain the Houthis beyond a mild statement that Beijing issued last week.
