’America, Britain will pay a heavy price’: Houthi warns after UK, US airstrikes on Yemen

The United States-backed coalition including United Kingdom launched heavy airstrikes in Yemen on Thursday, targeting Houthi rebels. The Yemen authorities have now vowed vendetta, saying “America and Britain will have to prepare to pay a heavy price”.

The attack by the US and UK on Yemen comes weeks after the Houthi rebels allegedly unleashed disruptive attacks on Red Sea hurting commercial shipping on the trade route. 

According to reports, the airstrikes by US and UK on Yemen targeted an airbase, airports, and a military camp.

"Our country was subjected to a massive aggressive attack by American and British ships, submarines and warplanes," Houthi Deputy Foreign Minister Hussein Al-Ezzi said, according to official media.

"America and Britain will have to prepare to pay a heavy price and bear all the dire consequences of this blatant aggression," Al-Ezzi added.

Houthi television channel Al-Massirah said the air strikes hit the capital Sanaa as well as the cities of Hodeida and Saada.

According to US officials, the massive retaliatory strike on Yemen were done using warship- and submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles and fighter jets.

President Joe Biden said the strikes were meant to demonstrate that the US and its allies “will not tolerate” the Houthi’s ceaseless attacks on the Red Sea. Biden said they only made the move after attempts at diplomatic negotiations and careful deliberation.

The strikes marked the first US military response to what reportedly has been a persistent campaign of drone and missile attacks on commercial ships since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.

The US-UK coordinated military assault comes just a week after the White House and a host of partner nations issued a final warning to the Houthis to cease the attacks or face potential military action.

The flare-up in the oil-rich Middle East crisis comes weeks after Houthis reportedly attacked ships in the Red Sea. While the Houthis have claimed their attack is in defense of Palestinians in Gaza against Israel, it has been noted that many ships attacked by Houthis were tenuously or not related to Israel. 

US and British forces this week reportedly shot down 18 drones and three missiles fired by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea in what Washington called a "complex Iranian-designed" attack.