New Delhi: Many days after the leaking of the ‘Signal Group Chat’ of US government officials, on Tuesday night, the United States launched multiple airstrikes on many Houties-controlled areas of Yemen. The Houthis confirmed that the airstrikes killed four and wounded two in Yemen’s Hodeidah region. The attack came after the US announced the deployment of a second aircraft carrier and increased the number of warplanes in West Asia.
As reported by Reuters, the US military central command, which manages troops in the Middle East, released a video on April 1, claiming to show their preparations for carrying out strikes on Houties. The video shows two missiles being launched from a ship as well as three fighter aircraft taking off from a military base. The specific details of the base could not be verified by the agency.
Global shipping disruptions following Red Sea conflict
On March 15, Washington launched a military offensive aimed at stopping the Houthis from threatening vessels in the Red Sea. The Houthis began targeting shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden after the onset of the Gaza war in 2023, claiming solidarity with the Palestinians.
This escalation has severely disrupted the vital shipping route, which normally handles 12 per cent of global shipping traffic. As a result, many companies and vessels have been forced to take a costly detour around the tip of southern Africa, significantly lengthening their journeys.
