President Joe Biden issued a written statement Thursday after ordering a strike on the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in his third straight day without a public appearance.
Despite warnings, the Houthis have continuously launched at least 27 drone and missile attacks against commercial vessels moving between the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, the military said Thursday. Ordered by Biden and in response to the Houthis’ aggression, the U.S. and United Kingdom launched strikes in retaliation Thursday evening against the group located in Yemen. The strike sends a “clear message” the United States and its allies will not tolerate attacks that threaten freedom for commercial ships in the Red Sea, Biden’s written statement reads. (RELATED: Shipping Giant Halts Commerce In Red Sea Despite US Navy Defending Against Houthi Attacks)
“Today’s defensive action follows this extensive diplomatic campaign and Houthi rebels’ escalating attacks against commercial vessels,” Biden said. “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 continued.
MOMENTS AGO: Biden releases a statement on the U.S. attack against the Houthis.
The president was rumored to speak tonight but a lid, indicating no more news will come from the WH, was called before 6pm.
Biden hasn’t done any public events since Monday.@DailyCaller pic.twitter.com/8kmfMmRz8R
— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) January 12, 2024
Alongside Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands, the U.S. and the U.K. struck “a number of targets” in Yemen as part of the strike ordered by Biden. The countries used fighter jets, ships and submarines firing Tomahawk missiles to attack various Houthi drone storage and launch sites, U.S. and U.K. officials told CNN.
“These strikes are in direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea—including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history,” Biden said.
The president’s statement made no mention of Iran, who backs the Houthis.
At the time that Biden issued his written statement, he had not made a public appearance since Monday. Biden has yet to personally comment on the communication breakdown between the White House and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who did not notify the president of his hospitalization for several days.
Plans by @maersk to resume Red Sea transits thrown in to chaos by attack on Maersk Hangzhou by Houthis & fatal consequences. Gunvor Maersk, Maersk Tukang, Ebba Maersk, Maersk Londrina, Maersk Utah, Maersk Genoa, Gjertrud Maersk, shown here pausing or recalibrating voyages pic.twitter.com/XqGwiFpPWZ
— Michelle Wiese Bockmann (@Michellewb_) January 1, 2024
While Biden has not made a public appearance at the White House in 2024, he has spent the first days of 2024 traveling to four different states for various campaign events.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre touted the campaign events that Biden has attended in 2024 when pressed on Biden’s lack of public appearances.
“President Biden has not had any events at the White House in the new year and he’s been kept out of public view for three full days now. Why?” Fox News White House Correspondent Peter Doocy asked.
“The president had a three-day swing, went to four states in the new year,” Jean-Pierre said. “He went to, actually I should say just recently, he went to [Valley Forge] Pennsylvania where he gave very impactful, important remarks on our democracy, protecting our democracy on the eve ahead of January 6. What we saw in 2021 on January 6 was an attack on our democracy and he went out there and he spoke to the American people. It was very well received, and this is something that he’s gonna continue to do.”