According to a defense official, the US launches attacks in Yemen for the second night in a row

According to a US defense official on Sunday, the US has launched strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen for the second night in a row.

Although there were reports of explosions in the Amran and Saada governorates, north of the capital of Sanaa, where the US has previously carried out strikes, information regarding the types of weapons, targets, or locations of the strikes was not immediately available.

The US launched a series of strikes on Houthi sites in at least three different locations on Saturday using fighter jets. These targets included facilities used by the Iran-backed rebel group to store sophisticated conventional weapons that have been used to target US warships and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

10% to 15% of global trade travels through the Suez Canal, which is connected to the Red Sea, an essential waterway. In the face of continuous attacks, operations along the strait have essentially ceased.

Since the start of the conflict in Gaza, Israel and its allies have been targeted by the Houthis, Hamas, and Hezbollah, who are all members of an Iran-led coalition that spans Yemen, Syria, Gaza, and Iraq. They claim that unless a ceasefire is achieved in the Palestinian enclave, they will not halt attacking Israel and its allies.

The Houthi strikes coincide with Yemen’s severe humanitarian crisis, which has been worse since a civil conflict in 2014 when Houthi forces overran the capital Sanaa and overthrew the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized government.

With a population of over 34 million, the country in the Arabian Peninsula suffers from acute food shortages that are made worse by natural disasters. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees warned that the country’s disastrous flooding earlier this year would worsen the situation for the 4.5 million Yemenis who are already internally displaced and in critical need of humanitarian assistance.

Over the past 11 months, the US has repeatedly targeted Houthi targets in Yemen, yet the attacks have persisted. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in mid-October that the United States had used stealth B-2 bombers to hit the insurgent group for the first time. One of the most advanced weapons in the nation’s long-range attack arsenal are B-2 bombers, which can carry a much bigger payload than fighter jets.

In order to “make clear to the Houthis that there will be consequences for their illegal and reckless attacks,” Austin claimed that President Joe Biden had ordered the operation.

In light of Israel’s fight with Hamas in Gaza and its conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon, CNN reported last month that the US has bolstered its military stance in the region. A carrier strike group, multiple guided missile destroyers, an amphibious readiness group, a marine expeditionary unit, and a variety of aircraft, including fighter and attack aircraft, are among the US assets stationed in the area.