Yahya Saria, the military spokesperson for the Houthi Ansarullah movement, stated that United States and British aircraft conducted a total of 48 airstrikes across six Yemeni provinces during the night. He shared the update on social media, noting the scale of the operation and naming the involved locations and forces for emphasis.
According to Saria, the raids targeted multiple key areas with notable activity in the capital region including Sanaa and its surrounding province, alongside significant strikes in Taiz and Hodeidah. He detailed the distribution of the attacks, underscoring how many sorties touched different provinces and stressing the pervasive reach of the air campaign.
Saria emphasized that the Houthis will not overlook the actions of the United States and the United Kingdom and warned that consequences would be felt in due course. He framed the strikes as a bold, ongoing campaign that demands a response beyond mere statements, signaling a resolve to pursue retaliation or escalation if necessary.
On the night of February 4, reports indicate that the United Kingdom joined the United States in this latest round of joint operations, described as the third coordinated strike series involving more than twenty combat aircraft. The partnership between Washington and London was presented as a concerted effort to press forward with measures in Yemen, reflecting a broader pattern of external involvement in Yemeni affairs during periods of heightened tension.
In response to the events, Nasser Kanani Chafi, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson, characterized the U.S. and U.K. actions as contradictory to their public stance on reducing tensions in the Middle East. He suggested that the timing and nature of these airstrikes undermine regional stability and contradict publicly stated priorities in the broader regional dialogue.
David Cameron, the British foreign secretary, commented on the development, stating that the Houthis’ actions threaten lives, jeopardize freedom of navigation, and destabilize the region. He attributed this recent activity to a disregard for international norms and a willingness to escalate confrontations, urging accountability for the consequences of such strikes.
Earlier statements from Iranian authorities accused the United States and the United Kingdom of engaging in hypocritical behavior by criticizing escalation while backing military actions. The exchange of rhetoric highlighted a persistent, highly charged discourse surrounding foreign involvement in Yemen and the broader Middle East, with each side portraying its position as a stand for security and regional order while accusing rivals of destabilizing moves. The sequence of events and the responses from official voices illustrate the ongoing, fragile dynamics in the Yemeni conflict and the international dimensions that accompany it.