U.S. strikes Houthi weapons sites in Yemen, deploying B-2 bombers

The U.S. military conducted airstrikes in Yemen against the Iranian-backed Houthis, targeting five underground weapons storage sites, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement late Wednesday. The strikes were carried out by B-2 Spirit bombers, marking the first use of these strategic stealth bombers against the Houthis.

“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,” Austin said in the statement.

He added that the deployment of B-2 long-range bombers demonstrated “U.S. global strike capabilities” to take action anytime and anywhere. The targeted facilities housed weapon components of the type used in attacks on military and civilian vessels in the region, the statement said

The B-2 Spirit, with a distinctive batwing shape, is a long-range bomber that typically flies from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, relying on aerial refueling to carry out missions without landing. At an estimated cost of more than $1 billion per aircraft, they are used by the Pentagon only occasionally in combat missions, typically as a show of force that signals that the United States does not need bases nearby to strike adversaries.

With the ability to carry up to 40,000 pounds of weapons, the aircraft can drop a significant amount of ordnance in a short period and carry either conventional or nuclear weapons.

The strikes on the Houthis, a militant group that is trained and equipped by Iran, were carried out as Israel prepares for expected retaliatory strikes on Iran after Tehran’s military launched about 180 ballistic missiles at Israel on Oct. 1. U.S. officials have said they will protect their Israeli allies from additional attacks and approved over the weekend the deployment of its most advanced missile defense system, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system, to Israel to bolster its air defenses.

The potential for the conflict to expand has left some Arab allies of the United States uneasy. Qatari officials said this week that they will not allow the Pentagon to use al-Udeid Air Base, a sprawling installation housing U.S. fighter jets, for an attack on any other country.

The Houthis for months have targeted commercial vessels and military warships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden over the war in Gaza. They have been using an array of missiles, one-way attack drones and remotely piloted vessels packed with explosives. In March, a missile launched by the Houthis struck a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Aden, killing three people.

“We will continue to make clear to the Houthis that there will be consequences for their illegal and reckless attacks,” Austin said. Washington Post