一名美国官员周四表示，在伊朗支持的武装分子袭击红海商业航运数月后，美国军方对也门的多个胡塞武装目标发动了大规模报复性打击。
据两名美国官员说，这位官员说，袭击涉及从海军水面舰艇和一艘美国海军潜艇发射的战斗机和战斧巡航导弹的组合。
其中一名官员确认该潜艇为俄亥俄级弹道导弹潜艇佛罗里达号(USS Florida)，该潜艇于11月5日通过苏伊士运河进入红海，美国中央司令部公布了这一举动。
另一名美国官员证实，英国也在利用其军事资产对胡塞武装目标发动打击。
美国总统乔·拜登(Joe Biden)一直面临回应压力，但希望避免引发更大范围的地区冲突，他发表声明称，在发出大量警告后，此举是一种“防御性行动”。
他说:“今天，在我的指示下，美国军队与英国一起，在澳大利亚、巴林、加拿大和荷兰的支持下，成功地对也门的一些目标进行了打击，这些目标被胡塞叛乱分子用来危及世界上最重要的水道之一的航行自由。”
“这些打击是对胡塞武装在红海对国际海事船只前所未有的袭击的直接回应——包括历史上第一次使用反舰弹道导弹。他在声明中说:“这些袭击危及了美国人员、平民船员和我们的合作伙伴，危害了贸易，威胁了航行自由。”。
此前，伊朗支持的武装分子多次使用无人机和导弹袭击红海和亚丁湾的商船，据称是为了支持哈马斯与以色列的战争。
周四，五角大楼披露，一枚胡塞导弹在瞄准一艘商船后无害地降落在亚丁湾，这是自11月19日以来的第27次此类袭击。
上周，美国和其他国家发表了一份联合声明，警告说，“如果胡塞武装继续威胁生命、全球经济或该地区关键水道的商业自由流动，他们将对后果负责。”
忠于胡塞运动的也门抗议者举起他们的步枪，参加抗议以色列正在进行的加沙战争以及美国国务卿安东尼·布林肯的战争中美国和英国的威胁...显示更多undefined
穆罕默德·哈穆德/盖蒂图片社
但周二，胡塞武装无视警告，发动了他们迄今为止最大的火力网，美国和英国的驱逐舰以及美国海军喷气式飞机击落了21架无人机和导弹，瞄准了红海的几十艘船只。
自那以后，美国高级官员对胡塞武装发出了新的警告，要求他们停止袭击。
“胡塞武装需要停止这些袭击，”国家安全委员会战略沟通协调员约翰·柯比(John Kirby)周四告诉白宫记者。"如果做不到这一点，他们将承担后果。"
然而，柯比表示，美国“不会在这里以这种或那种方式发出我们的拳头。”
国防部长劳埃德·奥斯汀(Lloyd Austin)周四晚上在一份声明中说，“今天的袭击目标是胡塞武装的无人驾驶飞行器、无人驾驶水面舰艇、对陆攻击巡航导弹以及海岸雷达和空中监视能力，”这份声明是在他因癌症治疗并发症而住院后发表的美国保留自卫的权利，如果有必要，我们将采取后续行动保护美国军队，”他说。
周四早些时候，英国首相希·苏纳克在伦敦召开了一次国家安全高级官员会议，议会成员听取了简报，导致人们猜测报复性打击迫在眉睫。
英国是组成美国领导的繁荣守护者行动(Operation Prosperity Guardian)的20个国家之一，该行动于12月底成立，旨在保护商船在通过红海时免受胡塞武装的袭击。
Sunak也发表了一份关于罢工的声明。
“尽管国际社会一再警告，胡塞武装仍继续在红海发动袭击，包括本周针对英国和美国军舰的袭击，”报告的部分内容称。
“这不能容忍。联合王国将永远支持航行自由和贸易自由流动。因此，我们采取了有限、必要和相称的自卫行动."他说。
通过曼德海峡进入红海的航线是一条至关重要的水路，全世界15%的商业活动都要经过这条水路。
这些袭击导致一些世界上最大的航运公司让他们的船只避开这条航道，走绕过非洲的更长的航线。
伊朗支持的胡塞武装自2014年以来控制了也门的部分地区，并表现出将内部冲突扩大到也门边界以外的意愿。
2016年10月，在反舰导弹袭击了一艘在国际水域航行的美国海军驱逐舰后，胡塞武装雷达站成为美国空袭的目标。
“我们的国家遭到了美国和英国船只、潜艇和战机的大规模侵略性攻击，美国和英国无疑将不得不准备付出沉重代价，并承担这一公然侵略的所有可怕后果，”胡塞副外长侯赛因·埃齐(Hussein al-Ezzi)周四晚上在X上发布。
US, UK launch large-scale retaliatory strikes against Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen
The U.S. military has unleashed large-scale retaliatory strikes against multiple Houthi targets in Yemen following months of attacks by the Iranian-backed militants on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, a U.S. official said Thursday.
The official said that the strikes involved a mix of fighter jets and Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from Navy surface ships and a U.S. Navy submarine, according to two U.S. officials.
One of the officials identified the submarine as the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Florida, which was seen entering the Red Sea via the Suez Canal on Nov. 5, a move publicized by U.S. Central Command.
Another U.S. official confirmed that the United Kingdom also was using its military assets to launch strikes against Houthi targets.
President Joe Biden, who had been under pressure to respond, but hoping to avoid risking wider regional conflict, issued a statement calling the move a "defensive action" after extensive warnings.
"Today, at my direction, U.S. military forces -- together with the United Kingdom and with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands -- successfully conducted strikes against a number of targets in Yemen used by Houthi rebels to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world's most vital waterways," he said.
"These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea -- including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history. These attacks have endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardized trade, and threatened freedom of navigation," his statement said.
The strikes come after the Iranian-backed militants have repeatedly used drones and missiles to target commercial ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, supposedly in support of Hamas in its war with Israel.
On Thursday, the Pentagon disclosed that a Houthi missile had landed harmlessly in the Gulf of Aden after targeting a commercial vessel marking the 27th such attack since Nov. 19.
Last week, the U.S. and other nations released a joint statement warning that "the Houthis will bear the responsibility for the consequences should they continue to threaten lives, the global economy, or the free flow of commerce in the region's critical waterways."
But on Tuesday the Houthis ignored the warning by launching their biggest barrage yet as American and British destroyers, along with U.S. Navy jets, shot down 21 drones and missiles aimed at dozens of ships in the Red Sea.
Since then, senior U.S. officials had issued new warnings against the Houthis to stop with the attacks.
"The Houthis need to stop these attacks," John Kirby, coordinator for strategic communications at the National Security Council, told White House reporters on Thursday. "They will bear the consequences for any failure to do so."
However, Kirby said the U.S. was "not going to telegraph our punches one way or another here."
"Today’s strikes targeted the Houthis’ unmanned aerial vehicle, uncrewed surface vessel, land-attack cruise missile, and coastal radar and air surveillance capabilities," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement Thursday night, issued from the hospital where he remains after complications from cancer treatment. "The United States maintains its right to self-defense and, if necessary, we will take follow-on actions to protect U.S. forces," he said.
Earlier Thursday in London, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak convened a meeting of his top national security officials and members of Parliament were briefed leading to speculation that retaliatory strikes were imminent.
The United Kingdom forms part of the 20 countries that make up the U.S.-led Operation Prosperity Guardian established in late December to defend commercial vessels from Houthi attacks as they transited the Red Sea.
Sunak also put out a statement on the strikes.
“Despite the repeated warnings from the international community, the Houthis have continued to carry out attacks in the Red Sea, including against UK and US warships just this week," it said in part.
“This cannot stand. The United Kingdom will always stand up for freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade. We have therefore taken limited, necessary and proportionate action in self-defence ..." he said.
The shipping route through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait into the Red Sea is a vital waterway through which 15% of the world's commerce transits.
The attacks had led some of the world's largest shipping companies to have their ships avoid the waterway and take the longer routes around Africa.
The Iran-backed Houthis have controlled parts of Yemen since 2014 and have demonstrated a willingness to expand their internal conflict beyond Yemen's borders.
In October 2016, Houthi radar sites were targeted by U.S. airstrikes following anti-ship missile attacks targeting a U.S. Navy destroyer sailing in international waters.
"Our country was subjected to a massive aggressive attack by American and British ships, submarines, and warplanes, and America and Britain will undoubtedly have to prepare to pay a heavy price and bear all the dire consequences of this blatant aggression," Houthi Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein al-Ezzi posted on X Thursday night.
