US President Joe Biden says the country is “well-prepared” after Yemen'sHouthi rebels threatened a "strong and effective response" afteranother overnight airstrike.The strikes, which were backed by the UK government, have added to concerns about the escalation of the conflict between Israel and Hamas which shows no sign of abating.
President Biden said the US delivered a private message to Iran about its backing for the Houthis responsible for attacking commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
"We delivered it privately and we're confident we're well-prepared," Biden told reporters at the White House.
The latest strike, which the U.S. said hit a radar site, came a day after dozens of American and British strikes on Houthi facilities.
"This new strike will have a firm, strong and effective response," Houthi spokesperson Nasruldeen Amer told Al Jazeera, adding there had been no injuries nor "material damages".
Mohammed Abdulsalam, another Houthi spokesperson, said the strikes had no significant impact on the group's ability to prevent Israel-affiliated vessels from passing through the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea.
White House spokesperson John Kirby said the initial strikes had hit the Houthis' ability to store, launch and guide missiles or drones, which the group has used to threaten shipping.
He said Washington had no interest in a war with Yemen.
Biden, whose administration removed the Houthis from a State Department list of "foreign terrorist organizations" in 2021, was asked by reporters on Friday whether he felt the term "terrorist" described the movement now.
"I think they are," Biden said
The strikes have added to concerns about the escalation of the conflict that has spread through the region since the Palestinian militant group Hamas and Israel went to war, with Iran's allies also entering the fray from Lebanon, Syria and Iraq.
Hans Grundberg, U.N. special envoy for Yemen, urged maximum restraint by "all involved" in the country and warned of an increasingly precarious situation in the region.
The Houthis say their maritime campaign aims to support Palestinians under Israeli siege and attack in Gaza, which is ruled by the Iran-backed Hamas but many of the vessels they have attacked had no known connection to Israel.
The group, which controls Sanaa and much of the west and north of Yemen, has also fired drones and missiles up the Red Sea at Israel itself.
The Red Sea crisis has added to the spread of conflict through the Middle East since Hamas militants rampaged through southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and seizing 240 hostages.
Israel has responded by laying waste to large sections of Gaza to try to annihilate Hamas. A total of 23,843 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes on the enclave since Oct. 7, the Gaza health ministry said in a statement on Saturday.
Houthi attacks have forced commercial ships to take a longer, costlier route around Africa, creating concern about a new bout of inflation and supply chain disruption. Container shipping rates for key global routes have soared this week.
The Yemen attacks were condemned by some of the thousands of pro-Palestine protesters who took to the streets of London on Saturday, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Around 1,700 police officers patrolled the capital as the march made its way to Parliament Square.
The Met said there were a total of nine arrests. Three arrests were for inciting racial hatred - one in relation to a placard and two for chanting.Two arrests were for a racially aggravated public order offence - one in relation to a placard and one for wording on a piece of clothing.One arrest was for being in possession of items to cause criminal damage - specifically stickers, while there were another three arrests on suspicion of supporting a proscribed organisation (an offence under the Terrorism Act) in relation to the distribution of leaflets.Several protesters made references to the military action, with one man holding a placard claiming the UK and US “want war” and that Yemen “supports Palestine”, while one speaker told crowds at Parliament Square that RAF planes were “flying where they do not belong”.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country plans a "huge" addition to its defence budget as part of a build-up designed to cover its needs for years to come.
Speaking in a televised address, Netanyahu said Israel would not be deterred by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) from pursuing its Gaza war until total victory.
"No one will stop us - not The Hague, not the Axis of Evil, no one," Netanyahu said.
South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinians in its war in Gaza and is asking the ICJ to order Israel to halt its military activity.
The ICJ is the United Nations' highest court. Its rulings are theoretically legally binding on parties to the ICJ - which include Israel and South Africa - but are not enforceable.
