Yemen, request for US and Saudi support to block Houthis

The “defensive” strikes by the United States and Britain against the Houthi rebels are not enough. This was stated by a member of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (the government of Yemen recognized by the United Nations), Rashad al-Alimi, during a press conference in Riyadh. Al-Alimi appealed for support from the United States and Saudi Arabia to “eliminate” the rebels’ ability to attack ships in the Red Sea. «Defensive operations are not the solution. The solution is to eliminate the military capabilities of the Houthis,” said the Yemeni government official. The situation is becoming increasingly critical. Just this morning, a fire broke out on board the oil tanker Marlin Luanda, attacked by the armed group. The response from the two Western countries, which in recent weeks have tried to act to combat the maritime crisis, arrived quickly.

American forces attacked a Houthi position in Yemen after Shiite rebels attacked a burning British oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden. «At around 3:45am local time (just before 2am in Italy), the US military Middle East Command (Centcom) carried out an attack against a Houthi anti-ship missile launcher ready to fire in the Red Sea», we read below X, where CentCom specifies that it was an “imminent threat” to American destroyers and merchant ships in the region. Rebels close to Iran, who are intensifying attacks against merchant traffic in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, reported last night that they launched “missiles” against a “British oil tanker, the Marlin Luanda”, specifying that the ship, “hit from the front, it caught fire».

Rebel military spokesman Yahya Saree added that the attack was carried out in support of the Palestinian people and “in response to British and American aggression against our country.” The Trafigura group, which manages Marlin Luanda, said there were no reports of victims. “The crew continues its efforts to control the fire with the assistance of warships.” Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV said the United States and Britain launched two airstrikes on the port of Ras Issa in Hodeida province, where Yemen’s main oil export terminal is located. The rebels did not provide details of the attack, which has not been confirmed by either Washington or London.

Source: IL Tempo

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