The United States plans to launch further strikes at Iran-backed groups in the Middle East, following attacks on Tehran-aligned factions in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen over the last two days. The strikes are the latest blows in a conflict that has spread into the Middle East since October 7, when the Iran-backed Palestinian militant group Hamas stormed Israel from the Gaza Strip, igniting war. Iran has so far avoided any direct role in the conflict, even as it backs those groups. The Pentagon has said it does not want war with Iran and does not believe Tehran wants war either.
The US has stepped away from attacking sites inside Iran, something the military has been careful to avoid. The strikes in Yemen targeted buried weapons storage facilities, missile systems, launchers, and other capabilities the Houthis have used to attack Red Sea shipping.
The Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Sarea said the strikes “will not pass without a response and consequences.” Another Houthi spokesperson, Mohammed Abdulsalam, indicated the group would not be deterred, saying Yemen’s decision to support Gaza would not be affected by any attack.
The Yemen strikes are running parallel to the unfolding U.S. campaign of retaliation over the killing of three American soldiers in a drone strike by Iran-backed militants on an outpost in Jordan. On Friday, the U.S. carried out the first wave of that retaliation, striking in Iraq and Syria more than 85 targets linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and militias it backs, reportedly killing nearly 40. Iran’s foreign ministry said the latest attacks on Yemen were “a flagrant violation of international law by the United States and Britain”, warning the continuation of such attacks was a “worrying threat to international peace and security”.
(Reuters)
