Michael Gabriel Hernandez
18 January 2024•Update: 19 January 2024
WASHINGTON
US President Joe Biden acknowledged Thursday that ongoing US and allied strikes targeting Yemen's Houthi militants are not stopping ongoing attacks in the Red Sea, but he said they would continue.
"Are they stopping the Houthis? No. Are they going to continue? Yes," Biden told reporters at the White House before departing for the state of North Carolina.
The US earlier Thursday carried out a fifth wave of airstrikes against the Houthis, targeting anti-ship ballistic missiles, according to the White House.
National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said aboard Air Force One that the strikes targeted a "couple" of missiles that "were being prepared for imminent fire into the Southern Red Sea." Additional details are expected to be provided by US Central Command.
"We're not looking for a conflict in the region. But we have to be able to act in our own self-defense not just for our ships, and our sailors, but for merchant ships and merchant sailors, and international shipping in the Red Sea," he said.
"These strikes will continue for as long as they need to continue to try to disrupt and degrade the Houthis' ability to continue to conduct these attacks," added Kirby.
The Houthis said their attacks aim to pressure Israel to halt its deadly war on the Gaza Strip, which has killed at least 24,000 victims since an Oct. 7 cross-border offensive by the Palestinian group, Hamas. About 1,200 were killed in Hamas' attack and hundreds more were taken back to Gaza as hostages.
The US and UK have launched airstrikes on Houthi targets for one week in retaliation for the attacks, which have created fears of a new bout of inflation and supply chain disruption.
Asked why the US should continue its strikes given that the president acknowledged they are not stopping the attacks, Kirby said: "With each and every one of these strikes, we are taking away capability from the Houthis. With each and every one of these strikes, we are making it harder for them to continue to propagate these attacks."
The Red Sea is one of the world's most frequently used sea routes for oil and fuel shipments. It is used to transit between Egypt's Suez Canal and the Gulf of Aden, allowing ships to avoid the much costlier and longer route across the southern coast of Africa.
