Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, the leader of Yemen’s Houthi movement, has reported that 424 airstrikes by the United States and the United Kingdom on Yemeni targets have left 37 people dead and 30 wounded.
The announcement was made during a speech on Thursday, April 4, as the conflict in Yemen continues to escalate.
The Houthi forces, aligned with Iran, exert control over the capital of Yemen and the majority of its densely populated regions. They have been engaging in acts of aggression against international shipping in the Red Sea since November, a move they claim supports the Palestinians in the ongoing conflict with Israel and Hamas.
These maritime attacks have prompted retaliatory airstrikes by the US and the UK beginning in February.
In his televised address from a location he did not disclose, al-Houthi detailed the scope of their maritime operations. He claimed that the Houthis had targeted 90 ships in the Red Sea. He also noted an escalation in drone warfare, stating that the frequency and geographical reach of these attacks have expanded significantly. Over the course of one month, Houthi forces launched 34 attacks using a combination of 125 ballistic missiles and drones.
The ramifications of these Houthi-initiated disruptions on global commerce are profound. Shipping companies have been forced to reroute their vessels, opting for longer and significantly more expensive paths around Africa’s southern tip to avoid the Red Sea’s volatile waters.
