Yemeni Forces Launch Retaliatory Strikes on US Naval Targets amid Gaza Crisis
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The Yemeni Armed Forces announced a large-scale retaliatory operation targeting US naval vessels in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Aden, escalating their response to the “American-British aggression against Yemen and support for Israel’s war on Gaza”.
Brigadier General Yahya Saree, the spokesman for Yemen’s Armed Forces, stated on Sunday that the operation involved coordinated strikes by naval, drone, and missile units.
“The Yemeni Armed Forces' naval forces, drone air force, and missile force, with the help of Allah Almighty, carried out a qualitative and joint military operation, targeting an American destroyer and three supply ships belonging to the American army, namely ‘Stena Impeccable,’ ‘Maersk Saratoga,’ and ‘Liberty Grace,’” Saree said in a statement.
The assault utilized sixteen ballistic and cruise missiles, along with a drone. Saree emphasized the precision of the strikes, declaring, “The hits were accurate and direct, thanks be to Allah.”
The operation follows an earlier missile strike by Yemen’s forces on Sunday targeting a strategic site in Tel Aviv, carried out using a hypersonic Palestine 2 missile. Saree stated these actions are part of Yemen’s stance against US and Israeli aggression, particularly in Gaza.
“These operations will not cease until the aggression against the Gaza Strip stops and the siege is lifted,” he said, reaffirming Yemen’s support for the Palestinian cause. He concluded with a Quranic invocation: “Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs. How excellent is the Protector, and how excellent is the Helper.”
Yemeni solidarity with Palestine has intensified since Israel launched its war on Gaza on October 7, 2023.
According to Yemeni officials, their actions aim to pressure the US, UK, and Israel to halt the “genocidal war” in Gaza. The Israeli offensive has claimed at least 44,382 lives, predominantly women and children, and injured over 105,000 people.
Yemen’s Ansarullah movement has explicitly linked its attacks on US and allied vessels to efforts to end the ongoing siege and aggression in Gaza. Meanwhile, the US military deployed B-2 stealth bombers in October to strike Yemen in a move seen as bolstering Israel’s operations.