The internationally recognized Yemeni government stated today, Friday, that "the U.S.-British military operation is the result of the continued targeting of international navigation in the Red Sea by the Houthis." The Yemeni government held the Houthis "responsible for dragging the country into a military confrontation." According to the Houthi armed forces spokesman Yahya Sarie, 73 airstrikes have targeted the capital Sanaa and the governorates of Al Hudaydah, Taiz, Hajjah, and Saada.
**Mass Protests**
Tens of thousands of Yemenis gathered in several cities today, Friday, to listen to speeches from their leaders denouncing the U.S.-British strikes on their country in response to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea. The United States and Britain launched air and sea strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen in response to the group's attacks on ships in the Red Sea, marking an escalation in the regional war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
