The US carried out more strikes on Houthi rebel targets in Yemen last night. The new strikes followed yesterday’s series of airstrikes aimed at ending Houthi aggression against shipping in the Red Sea. According to the US, there was a “follow-up operation” last night “at a specific military target”.

Last night, the Americans and British, backed by the Netherlands and others, launched a large-scale attack on dozens of Houthi rebel targets. Storage facilities, missile systems and Houthi air defenses were reportedly hit. It is not yet known to what extent US allies are also involved in the latest operation.

Last night’s surgery was much smaller than the night before. According to the US military, the destroyer USS Carney was deployed and Tomahawk missiles were used. Either way, the target would have been a Houthi radar site, which was also hit yesterday. There have been reports of attacks near the capital Sanaa and in the western coastal city of Hodeidah.

It is unclear whether the latest attacks hit their target. A Houthi spokesman told Qatari news channel Al Jazeera that there were no casualties, injuries or damage after the latest attacks. The rebels are threatening a “tough, effective” response to US action.

Houthi rebels in Yemen have enjoyed Iranian support for years and have been attacking international shipping in the Red Sea for weeks. They say they have targeted ships that communicate with Israel because of the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. As a result of missile and drone attacks from Yemen, many cargo ships avoid the vital sea route, costing and delaying international trade.

After yesterday’s attacks on Houthi targets, the White House said the United States was considering retaliation by the rebel movement and called on American ships to avoid the area in the coming days. “We will join our allies in responding to the Houthis if they continue to engage in this despicable behavior,” President Biden said hours before the new attacks.

The Houthis have already warned that all American and British interests are now targets as far as they are concerned. Houthi leader al-Ezzi warned last night in response to the attacks that the US and UK should be “prepared to pay a high price” for the attacks.

It is difficult to predict what effects Western attacks will have on the already tense situation in the region. US Secretary of State Blinken has already said he wants to prevent further escalation.

Yemen has been in a civil war for years. Saudi Arabia, which backs Yemen’s government, where the Houthis are fighting, has quickly backed away from American and British attacks. The country expressed concern and called for moderation. Iran, which backs the Houthis in that war with the government, strongly condemns the attacks and says the US strikes are increasing instability in the region.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets yesterday in Yemen’s capital Sana’a to bombard Houthi targets.