Iran Warns US and UK, Calls Attack on Houthis a Strategic Mistake

Tehran: Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amir Abdullahian on Tuesday said that they have sent a warning to the Americans as they, along with the UK, attacked the Houthi targets, calling it a "strategic mistake". Sharing it on social media, the Iran embassy in India stated, "Hossein Amir Abdullahian, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran, announced that "we have sent a serious message and warning to the Americans that their joint action with the British in the Red Sea and against Yemen was a "strategic mistake."

The US and UK have carried out additional strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, marking the eighth round of attacks by the US military in the past 10 days, CNN reported, citing a joint statement. In the latest development, the countries attacked the rebels' infrastructure on Monday and struck eight sites, as per a joint statement from the US and UK. Notably, the recent strikes on Houthi targets were "successful" and destroyed missiles, weapons storage sites and drone systems, a senior military official and a senior defence official stated.

Reportedly, Monday's strikes targeted a Houthi underground storage site and site associates with Houthi missiles and air surveillance, the statement added, according to CNN. The senior military official said that the US used fighter jets from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, as well as surface vessels and a submarine, to strike eight locations. Furthermore, for the first time, the US also struck an underground storage facility used by the Houthis, the official said, as reported by CNN.

The storage site was assessed to have "more advanced



conventional weaponry," including missiles and one-way attack drones. Reportedly, the USS has named the ongoing operation targeting Houthi assets in Yemen as "Operation Poseidon Archer," which suggests a more organised and potentially long-term approach to the operations in Yemen that have been aimed at dissuading the Iranian-backed group from attacking commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

Since January 11, the US has now struck Houthi targets in Yemen eight times, the majority of which have been carried out unilaterally, as reported by CNN. Notably, the US redesignated the Yemeni group as a "terrorist" organisation in response to its continuing attacks and threats to shipping and imposed sanctions on it. The designation does not go into effect for 30 days. Last week, several US personnel were wounded after Iran-backed militants in Western Iraq launched multiple rockets and ballistic missiles on Saturday (local time) targeting Washington's al-Assad Airbase in Western Iraq, said US Central Command. CENTCOM said that several US personnel are undergoing evaluation for "traumatic brain injuries" and at least one Iraqi service member was wounded in the attack. 

Meanwhile, the Houthis said the counterattack will not affect its operations to prevent Israeli ships or vessels heading to Israel from crossing the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The Houthis, who support the Palestinian armed group Hamas, launched their attacks in response to Israel's war on Gaza. Their strikes have slowed trade between Asia and Europe and alarmed major world powers, Al Jazeera reported.