‘Prepare to pay a heavy price’: Houthi's strong words to US, UK after airstrikes

The United States and the United Kingdom will have to pay a heavy price and bear all the dire consequences, deputy foreign minister of the rebel group Houthi-led Yemen, Hussein al-Ezzi, said, as cited by CNN, in response to the targeted strikes by both the American and British militaries.

"Our country was subjected to a massive aggressive attack by American and British ships, submarines, and warplanes, and America and Britain will undoubtedly have to prepare to pay a heavy price and bear all the dire consequences of this blatant aggression," al-Ezzi said.

Abdul Salam Jahaf, a senior Houthi member, said the Iran-backed group had initiated retaliatory assaults on the US and UK warships deployed in the Red Sea.

Also read: Amid Red Sea attack fears, ships use 'all Chinese crew' tactic to avoid Houthi rebels

Both US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in a clear message against the rebel group's attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea, which forms a crucial part of trade between the West and the East, said the strikes on Houthis was to ensure “freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade” and safeguard military, civilian marines and partners in the region.

"Today, at my direction, US military forces--together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands--successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world's most vital waterways," the US President said in a statement.

Member of Houthi's supreme political council, Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, said the US-UK strikes on Yemen were “barbaric”. Meanwhile, Iran condemned the attack and termed it a “breach of international laws”.

"We strongly condemn the military attacks carried out this morning by the United States and the United Kingdom on several cities in Yemen…We consider it a clear violation of Yemen's sovereignty and territorial integrity and a breach of international laws, regulations, and rights," Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said in a statement.

The Houthi group launched a mix of several drone and missile attacks on Israel since the war against Gaza started and vowed not to stop attacking the country until it ends the hostilities in the Palestinian enclave.

They also started attacking commercial vehicles in the Red Sea, which the rebel group claimed to inflict strain on Israel and its allies, as the narrow stretch of waterways, which runs through the Bal-el-Mandeb strait near Southern Yemen, serves as a crucial aspect of global trade.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.