U.S.-led airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen on Thursday killed at least five people, according to the rebels.
Six people were also wounded, the Houthis said.
A Houthi official in their foreign ministry, Hussein al-Ezzi, described the strikes as “a massive aggressive attack by American and British ships, submarines and warplanes.”
“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 added.
The Houthis’ chief negotiator and spokesperson, Mohammed Abdul-Salam, meanwhile, said the U.S. and Britain “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 U.S. and the U.K. conducted strikes in Yemen against the Houthis with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands in “direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks” in the Red Sea, according to President Biden.
“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,” Biden added.
The military action sparked criticism from Democrats, including Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), who said they were “an unacceptable violation of the Constitution.”
“Article 1 requires that military action be authorized by Congress,” Jayapal said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, late Thursday.
The Associated Press contributed.