2024 missile strikes in Yemen
Since 12 January 2024, the United States and the United Kingdom, with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand,[16] have launched a series of cruise missile and airstrikes, codenamed Operation Poseidon Archer, against the Houthi movement (Ansar Allah) in Yemen in response to Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea.[17] The Houthis had previously declared that their attacks are in support of Palestinians during the 2023 Israel–Hamas war; Houthi attacks on shipping were condemned by the United Nations Security Council the day before the initial strike.[1][18][19][20]
US President Joe Biden ordered the strikes, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak convened his cabinet to authorize British participation.[21][22] American officials said the strikes were intended to degrade Houthi capabilities to attack Red Sea targets rather than to kill leaders and Iranian trainers.[20][23]
As of 2 May, the Houthis recorded 452 American and British airstrikes against its sites in Yemen, resulting in 40 deaths and 35 injuries.[11]
: Defense Minister Niko Peleshi said that Albania supported the reaction of its the US and UK against the Houthis, calling the latter's attacks in the Red Sea "destabilizing, illegal and unjustified".[158]
Albania
: Defence Minister Richard Marles said to reporters the decision to launch the strikes "was not taken lightly",[159] saying that the action taken was about "maintaining freedom of navigation on the high seas".[160] The Australian Greens party condemned the ruling government, stating that support for US and British strikes amounted to "a dangerous escalation at a time for peace".[161]
Australia
: Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib expressed support for the strikes, saying that Belgium was "working with its EU partners and US ally to restore maritime security in the region and avoid any spillover."[162]
Belgium
: Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly and Defence Minister Bill Blair endorsed the attacks, with both of them stating the strikes were "consistent with the UN Charter".[163]
Canada
: Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning urged restraint.[164] UN ambassador Zhang Jun said the Security Council had not authorised the use of force in Yemen, adding that the strikes "not only caused infrastructure destruction and civilian casualties, but have also resulted in heightened security risks in the Red Sea."[165][166]
China
: Foreign Ministry spokesman Theodoros Gotsis said that the Cypriot government was in "constant communication with the UK" within the framework set by the Treaty of Establishment regarding the use of British military bases in the country. He also called for an "immediate end to all actions that threaten free and safe navigation", given the country's "significant maritime footprint" in the region. The Cyprus Peace Council said British participation in the airstrikes in Yemen was turning Cyprus into a "war base" and announced plans to hold a demonstration outside the RAF Akrotiri base on 14 January.[167]
Cyprus
: The Foreign Ministry expressed "deep concern" over the escalation of military operations in the Red Sea and air strikes in Yemen, and has also called for "uniting" international and regional efforts to reduce instability in the region.[168]
Egypt
: Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné reaffirmed France's condemnation of Houthi strikes on commercial vessels, stating that "with those armed actions, the Houthis bear the extremely serious responsibility of the escalation in the region".[168] However, the French government did not express support for the US and UK air strikes.[169]
France
: Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock expressed the German government's political support for the military strike, and said it was carried out "in accordance with the individual and collective right to self-defense of the United Nations Charter".[170]
Germany
: Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kobayashi Maki stated that Japan supported "the determination of the United States and relevant countries to fulfill its responsibility in ensuring the free and safe navigation of vessels".[171]
Japan
: The Presidency of the Council of Ministers confirmed it "supports the operations of allied nations, which have the right to defend their vessels, in the interest of global trade flows and humanitarian assistance."[172]
Italy
: The Foreign Ministry condemned the strikes as a "clear violation of Yemen's sovereignty and territorial integrity" and a violation of international laws.[3]
Iran
: Foreign Affairs Minister Donika Gërvalla stated "the Republic of Kosovo fully supports the proportional military actions of our international partners" against the Houthis, adding that Kosovo "as a deeply democratic country, clearly aligns itself with its strategic partners in joint efforts to maintain peace and security in the world."[173]
Kosovo
: Prime Minister Mark Rutte expressed support for the attacks, stating "the US-British action is based on the right of self-defence, aims to protect free passage and is focused on de-escalation."[168]
Netherlands
: Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins expressed support for the strikes, with Peters stating that the "strikes support international security and trade, on which New Zealanders rely". Collins remarked that the strikes were "a good example of the international community uniting to address a serious threat to international security".[174] On 23 January 2024, six New Zealand Defence Force personnel were deployed to the Middle East to help provide maritime security in the Red Sea including "precision targeting."[175] The opposition Labour and Green parties criticised the deployment, citing the lack of a United Nations mandate and claiming it would inflame tensions.[176]
New Zealand
: Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi said the attack went against his country's advice and that it would only add fuel to an extremely dangerous situation. State media reported that the Omani government denounced the military action from "friendly countries".[168]
Oman
: Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova condemned the attack.[177] Presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov called the strikes "illegitimate" under international law but also called on the Houthis to stop attacking commercial vessels, which he described as "extremely wrong".[178]
Russia
: The Foreign Ministry condemned the air strikes, stating that it was a "desperate attempt to divert the attention of world public opinion from the war crimes committed by Israel against the Palestinian people".[180]
Syria
: President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused the United Kingdom of attempting to make the region surrounding the Red Sea "a sea of blood".[181]
