close
Fox News chief national security correspondent Jennifer Griffin reports on the latest out of the Middle East.
The United States has attacked five military sites controlled by Houthi forces in Yemen by using B-2 bombers for precision strikes against weapons storage locations.
“U.S. forces targeted several of the Houthis’ underground facilities housing various weapons components of types that the Houthis have used to target civilian and military vessels throughout the region,” Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said in a statement.
“This was a unique demonstration of the United States’ ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified.”
DISAPPROVAL MOUNTS BOTH AT HOME AND ABROAD AS US AVOIDS DIRECT ACTION AGAINST HOUTHI REBELS
Houthis in Yemen, Iranian proxy groups in Tehran and Hezbollah terrorists during military exercises along the border with Israel. (Photos: Houthis: AP photos| Flags: NurPhoto via Getty Images| Hezbollah: AP Hassan Amar. (Fox News)
Austin said the employment of U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit long-range stealth bombers demonstrated U.S. global strike capabilities to “take action against these targets when necessary, anytime, anywhere.”
“For over a year, the Iran-backed Houthis, Specially Designated Global Terrorists, have recklessly and unlawfully attacked U.S. and international vessels transiting the Red Sea, the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden,” he said.
The Houthis’ illegal attacks continue to disrupt the free flow of international commerce, threaten environmental catastrophe, and put innocent civilian lives and U.S. and partner forces’ lives at risk, he said.
U.S. FORCES DESTROY MULTIPLE HOUTHI WEAPONS, VEHICLES IN PAST 24 HOURS: CENTCOM
Austin said the attack was approved by President Joe Biden.
“At the direction of President Biden, I authorized these targeted strikes to further degrade the Houthis’ capability to continue their destabilizing behavior and to protect and defend U.S. forces and personnel in one of the world’s most critical waterways.
B-2 Stealth Bombers were used to strike Houthi targets in Yemen on October 16, 2024, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III said. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
“Again, the United States will not hesitate to take action to defend American lives and assets; to deter attacks against civilians and our regional partners; and to protect freedom of navigation and increase the safety and security in these waterways for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels.
“We will continue to make clear to the Houthis that there will be consequences for their illegal and reckless attacks. I am grateful for the professionalism and skill of the brave American troops who took part in today’s actions and who continue to stand guard in defense of our Nation.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Early assessments by the U.S. Central Command indicate that none of the strikes injured any civilians. Here’s some background about the Houthi effects in the Middle East and throughout shipping corridors in the region:
Jennifer Griffin currently serves as a national security correspondent for FOX News Channel (FNC) and is based out of the Washington D.C. bureau. She joined the network in October 1999 as a Jerusalem-based correspondent.
close Video Several drones crash during aerial show in Orlando, Florida Video shows the moment…
close Video Fox News Flash top headlines for December 22 Fox News Flash top headlines…
Panama's president has responded to President-elect Trump's idea that his new administration could try to…
Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, experienced a "very rapid" decline since moving into a retirement facility,…
EXCLUSIVE: House China Committee Chairman John Moolenaar told Fox News Digital that President-elect Donald Trump…
close Video Tren de Aragua suspects arrested in Bronx, New York Fox News correspondent CB…