US launches strikes on the Houthis from air and sea after warning there would be a price to pay for their constant attacks

• The US and UK launched strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen on Thursday.
• The strikes come after repeated warnings from the US and UK over the Houthis' attacks on shipping vessels.

The US, together with the UK and with the support of other allies, launched military strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen in an effort to suppress the group's ongoing attacks on commercial shipping vessels in key waterways.

A US defense official confirmed to Business Insider that strikes were launched from airborne, surface, and subsurface platforms, specifically jets, ships, and at least one submarine. They added that the retaliatory strikes were carried out to "protect US and international shipping vessels and degrade Houthi capabilities."

The official said the strikes targeted Houthi radar stations and storage facilities and launch sites for drones, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles. All of the targets hit during the strikes are "military objectives" by nature and are located in areas where civilians are not assessed to be present, they added.

"Degrading these capabilities hinders the Houthis' ability to continue their malign behavior in the future," they said.

President Joe Biden in a statement called the strikes "defensive action" and said he "will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary."

Meanwhile, a Houthi official vowed revenge against the US and UK for the strikes.

Houthi deputy foreign minister Hussein al-Ezzi called the retaliatory strikes a "massive aggressive attack" against Yemen itself.

"Our country was subjected to a massive aggressive attack by American and British ships, submarines, and warplanes," al-Ezzi said, according to CNN, warning that "America and Britain will undoubtedly have to prepare to pay a heavy price and bear all the dire consequences of this blatant aggression."

The strikes against the Houthis follow repeated warnings from the US and the UK and others that the Iran-backed rebels would face consequences if they did not stop attacking international shipping lanes off the coast of Yemen.

"It's gotten to the point where all other approaches have not played out, so it's time to let the Houthis know they can't interfere with international trade like this," Mick Ryan, a retired Major General in the Australian Army and a military strategist, told Business Insider.

On Jan. 3, the US and over a dozen allies issued a statement condemning the Houthis for their provocations, demanding an end to the attacks, and warning them against further incidents.

The following day, a senior Biden administration official told reporters they "would not anticipate another warning" for the rebels.

But this did little to deter the Houthis. Not even a week later, on Tuesday, the rebels launched their largest-ever attack, forcing US and UK naval assets to shoot down 18 one-way attack drones, two anti-ship cruise missiles, and one anti-ship ballistic missile. Dozens of merchant ships were operating in the southern Red Sea at the time, but there were no reports of injuries or damage.

Western officials, including US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, condemned the Houthis on Wednesday and issued a new round of warnings. One day later, on Thursday, the rebels fired another anti-ship ballistic missile into waters off the coast of Yemen.

The Houthis have launched scores of missiles and drones into surrounding waters over the past few months, often drawing engagement from US warships, in attacks that the rebels claim are a result of the Israel-Hamas war. Western officials, however, have slammed the group for threatening countries around the world and creating a global problem by disrupting critical supply routes.

Despite western concerns that the fighting in Israel and Gaza could become a larger regional conflict, Ryan said the Thursday strikes against the Houthis aren't inherently escalatory. "This is a response to Houthi escalation and tensions in the region," he said.

But one series of strikes is unlikely to destroy the Houthis' ability to interfere with shipping, Ryan said.

"It will probably have to be an ongoing series of strikes and probably some negotiation," he added.

Ryan Pickrell contributed to this report.