On Tuesday evening, the Royal Air Force (RAF) of Britain conducted airstrikes in Yemen alongside the United States, targeting Houthi forces.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) released a statement indicating that careful intelligence identified a cluster of buildings south of Sanaa, approximately fifteen miles away, that were used by the Houthis for drone manufacturing.
Royal Air Force Typhoon FGR4s, supported by air refueling from Voyager tankers, engaged several of these buildings using Paveway IV precision-guided bombs, which cost £30,000 each and contain a 500lb warhead designed for penetrating concrete.
This operation marks the first time UK armed forces have executed strikes in Yemen since May of last year, following a series of joint operations with the US from January to May 2024.
The US bombardment was a response to November 2023 statements from the Houthi movement about blocking Israeli ships from passing through the Red Sea—an essential waterway for US interests in the region—citing Israel’s actions in Gaza as the motive.
Britain’s previous strikes against Houthi targets were conducted under the Sunak Conservative government in coordination with the Biden administration.
However, the recent operation, which took place shortly after Donald Trump’s re-election, was authorized by Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government, reportedly seeking to improve relations with Trump.
The UK was classified as a secondary or tertiary priority in newly revealed US trade negotiations that sought to establish more favorable tariffs on UK imports, including steel, aluminum, and cars.
In a statement to the House of Commons, Defence Minister John Healey announced the continuation of military action in Yemen, citing collective self-defense and upholding the freedom of navigation, a principle Britain has long championed.
Healey emphasized that the operation aligns with both past and current UK government policy and highlighted that Labour had previously supported military action against the Houthis.
He dismissed Houthi assertions that their actions against ships in the Red Sea were in support of Gaza, asserting that such attacks do nothing to aid the Palestinian cause or push for peace.
In a significant call to arms, Healey dubbed the Houthis as agents of instability, claiming they receive support from Iran and Russia.
He pointed to a recent surge in US military activity against the Houthis and the movement of US carrier groups into the region as proof of escalating tensions and a collaborative threat to UK interests.
The Defence Minister noted the UK’s substantial support for US operations in the region, which involves air-to-air refueling and using the UK’s base in Diego Garcia for broader security efforts.
However, he notably omitted discussions about the strategic role of RAF Akrotiri in the UK’s military support for Israel’s actions in Gaza, despite findings showing that RAF conducted numerous reconnaissance flights in the area since December 2023.
Reports indicate that these ISR flights remained active under both Labour and Conservative governments, with a notable number occurring during Starmer’s tenure as Prime Minister.
Healey adopted Trump’s narrative, emphasizing the need for NATO countries to increase military spending, thereby reducing dependence on US military capacity.
He stated that the UK is proactively enhancing its military capability, exemplified by the recent deployment of the Carrier Strike Group into the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific regions.
This group, including the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales, recently arrived in the Mediterranean after participating in NATO exercises and is set to traverse key maritime chokepoints involved in ongoing operations against the Houthis.
Compounding concerns, Healey’s announcement avoided mention of a grave US strike that occurred just a day before the joint US-UK operation, which resulted in 68 civilian deaths at a migrant detention facility in Yemen’s Sa’ada province.
This incident is branded as one of the most severe civilian casualties yet recorded during the Trump administration’s military strategies in Yemen, marking ongoing tensions in the region.
Further, there was no discussion of the catastrophic consequences of the Saudi-US campaign conducted against Yemen from 2015 to 2022, which resulted in an estimated 400,000 deaths, mostly attributed to bombardments and mass starvation.
This recent military engagement has sparked significant debate regarding the UK’s role in Yemen and its implications for foreign relations and military ethics.
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