President Joe Biden said Thursday that airstrikes against the Houthis will continue despite them admittedly not working.
The U.S. began launching retaliatory airstrikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen following at least 27 drone and missile attacks against commercial vessels transiting near the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Biden told a reporter at the White House that the airstrikes are ineffective in stopping the Iranian-backed rebels’ attacks.
“Are the airstrikes in Yemen working?” a reporter asked.
“Well, when you say working, do you mean stopping the Houthis, no,” the president answered. “Are they gonna continue? Yes.”
The Houthis launched these attacks against commercial vessels in retaliation to the Israel-Hamas war. The U.S. and U.K. used military assets with the help of Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands to strike a “number of targets” in Yemen beginning on Jan. 11. (RELATED: FLASHBACK: Less Than 3 Years Before Bombing Them, Biden Removed Houthis From Terrorism List)
“These targeted strikes are a clear message that the United States and our partners will not tolerate attacks on our personnel or allow hostile actors to imperil freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most critical commercial routes. I will not hesitate to direct further measures to protect our people and the free flow of international commerce as necessary,” Biden said in a statement.
Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said the U.S. military will take “follow-up actions” to “protect U.S. forces” if necessary.
Biden received criticism from some fellow Democrats, including Reps. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Cori Bush of Missouri, who argued the airstrikes are a violation of the Constitution.