Yemen’s Houthis threaten strikes on US interests in the Middle East
Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, the head of the Houthi Supreme Political Council, is warning the US of retaliatory strikes if its forces attack Yemen.
He issued the threat in a series of videos posted on X.
“We caution Americans against targeting Yemen. If they do not stop, we will strike US interests in the region, ignoring any red lines,” al-Houthi said in one video. “Either Israel’s attacks on Gaza and Yemen will cease, or we will target sensitive American assets to deliver our message,” he added.
The warning comes after the US’s CENTCOM published photos of its soldiers aboard the USS Harry S Truman aircraft carrier preparing ordnance for strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. The US has been conducting attacks against what it says are Houthi military sites in Yemen in a bid to end the rebel group’s attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The Houthis launched the campaign to ramp up pressure on Israel for a ceasefire in Gaza. The rebel group has also been carrying out missile and drone attacks on Israel as part of the campaign. Just within the hour, the Israeli military announced intercepting a missile from Yemen.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has meanwhile threatened attacks on the Houthi leadership if the attacks continue.
نقول للأمريكي: أنت تأتي بحاملة الطائرات الرابعة إلى اليمن، وبالأمس تقول قيادتكم المركزية بأنها تذخّر من أجل قصف اليمن
نقول لهم: لكم عبرة في ثلاث حاملات للطائرات غادرت من أمام اليمن وتصريحاتهم واضحة pic.twitter.com/1thEtGMqYX
— محمد علي الحوثي (@Moh_Alhouthi) December 24, 2024
Translation: “We say to the Americans: You are bringing the fourth aircraft carrier to Yemen, and yesterday your central command said that it is stockpiling to bomb Yemen. We tell them: You have a lesson in the three aircraft carriers that left Yemen.”
Israel says missile launched from Yemen intercepted
A missile fired from Yemen towards Israel has been intercepted, according to the Israeli military.
Sirens sounded across central Israel early on Wednesday morning after a projectile was launched from Yemen, the military said, adding that it was intercepted before it entered Israeli territory.
Air attack sirens were sounded over concerns about falling debris from the intercepted missile, the military said. The Israeli ambulance service said nine people were injured in the rush for shelters.
The alert marks the second night in a row that air raid sirens have sounded across Israel in response to the threat of incoming projectiles from Yemen, and follows a successful strike in the Tel Aviv area on December 21.
Large fragments of Houthi missile found in central Israel: Report
The Times of Israel reported large fragments of the intercepted missile were found in central Israel. One large piece, apparently more than 1 metre in length, was found in the yard of a home in Be’er Yaakov, the daily said.
