Mapping US attacks on Yemen

At least 32 people have been killed and 101 have been injured in Yemen by American airstrikes, the majority of them children and women. The strikes started on Saturday and continued into Sunday’s early hours.

In response to Israel’s ongoing blockade of Gaza, US President Donald Trump ordered a number of large-scale attacks on Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The group threatened to launch strikes on Israeli-linked ships in the Red Sea.

40 raids have been reported so far, the majority of which have targeted Saada province, which is north of Sanaa.

US forces launched attacks on the following locations, according to Yemeni media:

Saada – There were 12 reports of raids there. A power outage occurred at a power station in Dahyan, according to Al Masirah TV. Abdel-Malik al-Houthi, the reclusive leader of the Houthis, regularly meets in Dahyan.
• Houthi media reports that the most deadly attack took place in the Ibb governorate‘s district of Kahza, where at least 15 people were killed when US warplanes attacked two residential buildings.
• Sanaa – In the capital, at least eight raids were reported, including one that left nine people injured and at least 15 dead in a residential area. According to Abdullah Yahia, a resident of the Yemeni capital, “the explosions were violent and shook the neighborhood like an earthquake.”
• Eight raids occurred in the Al Bayda governorate, and airstrikes affected the districts of Main, Main, and Marib, Marib, and Dhamar.
• Taiz – According to two local witnesses, strikes also targeted Houthi military installations in Taiz in Yemen’s southwest.

The Houthis are who?

The Houthis, also known as the “supporters of God,” are a rebel group that owns the majority of Yemen, including Sanaa, Sanaa, and some of the western and northern regions Saudi Arabia is located in.

The Houthis first appeared in the 1990s, but they gained notoriety in 2014 when they rebelled against the Yemeni government, causing it to resign, and erupting into a crippling humanitarian crisis.

The group then engaged in years-long combat against a Saudi-led military coalition with Iran’s support. Analysts claim that the Shia organization should not be seen as an Iranian proxy. It has its own goals, interests, and goals.

The Yemeni government is in charge of the northwestern regions of Yemen, including Sanaa, while Aden serves as the country’s temporary capital.

Why is Yemen under US attack?

The attacks follow Israel’s total blockade of the Gaza Strip, which is currently in its third week, and the Yemeni rebel group threatened to repress attacks on Israel-linked ships in the Red Sea.

Despite making a threat last week, the Houthis haven’t yet launched an attack on any ships.

The Houthis have launched numerous attacks on ships off Yemen’s coast since November 2023. In response to Israel’s ongoing conflict in Gaza, the group claims that these attacks show Palestinians solidarity with them.

According to a spokesman for the Pentagon, the Houthis have attacked US warships 174 times and 145 times against commercial vessels since 2023.

The US Central Command, which oversees American operations in the Middle East, referred to Saturday’s strikes as the “beginning of a massive offensive across Yemen.” The strikes were reportedly carried out by fighter jets from the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier stationed in the Red Sea, according to officials.

The US and the UK launched several attacks on&nbsp, Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, claiming they were aiming at anti-ship missiles under the previous US president Joe Biden. Additionally, Israel has frequently attacked power plants, ports, and Sanaa International Airport in Yemen.

What is the significance of the Red Sea?

With its waters containing 12% of all global trade, the Red Sea is a crucial maritime trading hub.

The Suez Canal and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait are significant chokepoints for Gulf energy shipments because they facilitate the transportation of 8% of the world’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade and 12% of all seaborne oil.

The Bab al-Mandeb Strait was essential to the development of global economic stability and energy security because it handled 8.8 million barrels per day (bpd) of oil and 4.1 billion cubic feet per day (cf/d) of LNG on its own in 2023.

Sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, located at the southern tip of Africa, is the main alternative to the Red Sea route. For global trade, especially for energy shipments from the Gulf to Europe and North America, this detour is significantly longer and more expensive.