Sources revealed to CNN on Friday the reasons behind the US and British forces launching strikes targeting Houthi positions in Yemen. A senior US official stated that the Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea on Tuesday were the "last straw" for President Joe Biden, who greenlit the execution of the strikes, even though preparations had been ongoing for some time.
On Tuesday, the US Navy intercepted 21 missiles and drones launched by the Houthis from Yemen, according to a statement from US Central Command (CENTCOM), marking one of the largest Houthi assaults in the Red Sea in recent months. The official noted that US ships were among the targets of Tuesday's attack. CENTCOM stated that no damage or injuries occurred to the ships as a result of the massive drone and missile assault.
A senior official at the Pentagon disclosed that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the strikes from the hospital and monitored them via secure communications, participating in a meeting with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the commander of Central Command to oversee the "complex" attack.
Another senior official in the US administration indicated that the US and British airstrikes on Houthi sites may not be the final action taken against the Iran-backed group, suggesting that further actions may be necessary to protect people and trade in the Red Sea. He added, "This may not be the last word, and when we have more to say and do, you will hear from us."
President Joe Biden pledged in a statement not to hesitate in "taking further actions to protect our people and the free flow of international trade as necessary," continuing: "These strikes send a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile entities to jeopardize freedom of navigation in one of the most critical trade routes in the world."
He noted that "US forces, in cooperation with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands, executed these successful strikes against several targets in Yemen used by the Houthi rebels to threaten freedom of navigation." However, the steps directed by Biden on Thursday, which came after a series of meetings with his national security team to discuss and refine the target list, aimed to significantly destroy Houthi positions.
