President Biden acknowledged on Thursday that a series of US airstrikes targeting Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen has not succeeded in halting the terror group’s attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
Responding to a reporter’s question as he departed the White House for an event in North Carolina, Biden, 81, stated, “Well when you say ‘working,’ are they stopping the Houthis? No. Are they going to continue? Yes.”
US forces conducted their fifth airstrike on the Houthis since last week, less than 24 hours after neutralizing 14 missiles deemed an “imminent threat.”
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby provided details, stating, “We did it again this morning, striking at some anti-ship missiles — a couple of anti-ship missiles that we had reason to believe were being prepared for imminent fire into the southern Red Sea.”
Since Nov. 19, the Houthis, armed by Iran, have launched numerous strikes on commercial vessels in the Red Sea. In December, the US initiated “Operation Prosperity Guardian” to patrol the shipping lane, starting airstrikes on Jan. 11.
Kirby explained the rationale behind the strikes, emphasizing the need for self-defense and protecting international shipping. He asserted, “…These strikes will continue for as long as they need to continue to try to disrupt and degrade the Houthis’ ability to continue to conduct these attacks.”
While acknowledging that the strikes haven’t stopped Houthi attacks, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh stated, “We never said that the Houthis would immediately stop.” She emphasized the degradation of some of the group’s capabilities since Thursday.
The recent strike followed the White House’s announcement of the Houthis returning to the Specially Designated Global Terrorists list. Biden had removed this designation in February 2021.
When questioned about the effectiveness of the redesignation compared to airstrikes, Kirby described it as part of a broader strategy, stating, “It’s a way of holding the Houthis accountable, [an] additional way to hold them accountable… We’re using all levers of national and international power to convince the Houthis to stop these attacks.”
“And if they don’t, and they clearly haven’t, to make sure that we’re holding them accountable for that,” he added.
