Further Yemen strikes not ‘immediately planned,’ British defense chief says

British defense minister James Heappey said Friday that the country has not “immediately planned” additional air strikes on Yemen, after joint U.S.-UK airstrikes Thursday hit about a dozen Houthi targets in the country.

“Clearly the Houthi attacks in the Red Sea have to be dealt with,” he told BBC Radio 5 on Friday. 

The strikes targeted facilities all over Yemen, killing five people, Houthi leadership said. The attack was in response to a Houthi naval strike campaign on civilian shipping in the Red Sea.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the strikes were “necessary, proportionate, and targeted.”

President Biden said the attacks were also supported by Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands.

The president justified the action as a necessary defensive strike against a force that targeted American vessels in the Red Sea.

“Today’s defensive action follows this extensive diplomatic campaign and Houthi rebels’ escalating attacks against commercial vessels,” Biden said. “These targeted strikes are a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most critical commercial routes.”

“I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary,” he added.

Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam denounced the attack, saying the U.S. and UK “committed foolishness with this treacherous aggression.”

“They were wrong if they thought that they would deter Yemen from supporting Palestine and Gaza,” he said. Houthi “targeting will continue to affect Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of occupied Palestine,” he said.

The action has come under fire from some members of Congress in both parties, who said the strikes were an overstep of presidential authority.