Yemen's Houthis Have Weapons that Can Reach the Mediterranean Sea
The Houthis in Yemen have weapons that can reach as far as the Mediterranean Sea, according to a senior defense official. The U.S. government is concerned that the Iran-backed group has the capability to extend strikes on shipping beyond the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden to the Mediterranean, said the official, who asked for anonymity. The official said Houthis have access to advanced weaponry and that their deployment of anti-ship ballistic missiles is virtually unprecedented. The group has also used drones in its attacks. The assessment comes as defense officials from the U.S. and the Gulf Cooperation Council meet Wednesday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The official added that the success by Israel, the U.S., U.K. and regional partners to repel a barrage on Israel of more than 300 missiles and drones from Iran and its proxies on April 13 is proof of the effectiveness of Washington's integrated defense alliances.
U.S. airstrikes hit the Airport of Yemen's Al-Hudaydah, Houthi media said today. According to reports, six strikes hit locations in the port city. Since January, the U.S. has conducted multiple strikes, targeting Houthi sites in different provinces in North Yemen. Houthis have been attacking the shipping lanes in the Red Sea since November last year. They have hit commercial vessels and warships and they vow to keep their operations as long as the Israeli war on Gaza continues.
13 civilians have been killed and injured by landmine explosions in four Yemeni provinces since the beginning of this month. The Yemeni Mine Observatory said Wednesday that it documented during this May the killing of five civilians, including a child, and the injury of eight civilians, including four children and a woman, in mine explosions in Al Hudaydah, Taiz, Lahj, and Al Bayda. The parties to the conflict in Yemen have planted thousands of landmines since the war started in 2015.
Ireland, Spain and Norway announced on Wednesday that they would recognize a Palestinian state on May 28, prompting an angry response from Israel, which said this amounted to a "reward for terrorism" and recalled its ambassadors from the three capitals. Dublin, Madrid and Oslo painted the decision as a move aimed at accelerating efforts to secure a ceasefire in Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza. They urged other countries to follow suit, although the United States, Israel's main ally, stood by its position that a Palestinian state should be realized through direct negotiations and not "unilateral recognition".
