The Yemeni Armed Forces have launched two major military operations targeting US naval assets, according to a statement from their spokesperson, Yahya Saree.

The actions were reportedly taken in retaliation for American and British aggression against Yemen, and in solidarity with the Palestinian and Lebanese people.

Saree reported that the first operation focused on the American aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, deploying a combination of cruise missiles and drones. He claimed that the attack was successful, averting planned US offensives against Yemen.

The second operation, targeting two US destroyers in the Red Sea, also utilized ballistic missiles and drones, Saree said, and achieved its objectives within an eight-hour timeframe.

The spokesperson attributed the escalating military tension in the Red Sea to American and British actions, claiming these activities have transformed the region into a zone of heightened conflict, with potential repercussions for maritime navigation.

According to the statement, Yemeni forces view these strikes as a legitimate form of self-defense against foreign threats in the Red and Arabian Seas. Saree emphasized that Yemen’s operations would continue until, in their view, “the aggression on Gaza stops, the siege is lifted, and attacks against Lebanon cease.”

Yemen’s recent actions in the Red Sea reportedly began in November 2023, focusing on vessels linked to Israel in what the Yemeni forces characterize as efforts to counter a campaign of ethnic cleansing in Gaza. Saree stated that these actions have significantly disrupted shipping routes to Israel’s Eilat port, imposing substantial economic costs on the country.

In addition to targeting Israeli-affiliated vessels, Yemeni forces have allegedly been targeting American and British ships, which they claim are involved in aerial strikes against Yemen in support of Israel.

The US military has responded to these claims, asserting that Yemeni attacks in the Red Sea are unrelated to the Gaza conflict, characterizing the strikes as “indiscriminate” and without substantiating evidence.

The incidents underscore rising tensions in the Red Sea region, as conflicts spill into international waters and regional dynamics grow increasingly complex. (ILKHA)