Iran, on Friday, condemned the joint US-Britain attack on Houthis in Yemen, cautioning that such military actions would exacerbate "insecurity and instability" in the region, as reported by Iranian state media. "We strongly condemn the military attacks carried out this morning by the United States and the United Kingdom on several cities in Yemen," said Nasser Kannani, spokesperson at Iran's foreign ministry, as per news agency Reuters.
He said that the attacks were a blatant violation of Yemen's sovereignty and territorial integrity, constituting a breach of international laws.
"These attacks are a clear violation of Yemen's sovereignty and territorial integrity and a breach of international laws," he added, as quoted by Reuters.
These comments come after the United States and Britain initiated airstrikes against locations associated with the Houthi movement in Yemen. This marks the first such military action in the country since the Iran-backed group began targeting international shipping in the Red Sea in the latter part of 2023.
US President Joe Biden, in a statement late Thursday night, said he would not hesitate to carry out further action if needed.
"These targeted strikes are a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation," Biden said.
ALSO READ: US, UK Strike Houthi Targets In Yemen, Biden Calls It 'Defensive Action' Against Attacks In Red Sea
Britain's Ministry of Defence said in a statement that "early indications are that the Houthis' ability to threaten merchant shipping has taken a blow."
A Houthi official confirmed the "raids" in the capital Sanaa, as well as in the cities of Saada and Dhamar, and in the Hodeidah governorate. The official described these actions as "American-Zionist-British aggression."
According to witnesses who spoke to Reuters, the airstrikes on Thursday focused on various locations, including a military base near Sanaa airport, a military site adjacent to Taiz airport, a Houthi naval base in Hodeidah, and military sites in the Hajjah governorate. The current airstrikes represent a significant and dramatic escalation of tensions, illustrating the widening conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Middle East since it initially flared up in October.
A US official revealed to Reuters that the airstrikes were conducted using aircraft, ships, and submarines. The official mentioned that over a dozen locations were singled out for targeting, emphasizing that the strikes aimed at diminishing the military capabilities of the Houthis and were not merely symbolic in nature.
The Houthis, which control most of Yemen, disregarded calls from the United Nations and other international entities to cease their missile and drone attacks on Red Sea shipping routes. Despite warnings from the United States about potential consequences if they persisted in such actions, the Houthi rebels continued their defiance.
The Houthis have attacked 27 ships to date, disrupting international commerce on the key route between Europe and Asia that accounts for about 15% of the world's shipping traffic. The rebel group has vowed to attack any ship linked to Israel or bound for Israeli ports. However, many of the targeted ships have had no links to Israel.
The Houthis say their attacks are in support of Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that controls Gaza.