U.S. B-2 bombers hit Houthi targets in Yemen, raising stakes in Red Sea conflict

In a notable move‚ U.S B-2 stealth bombers carried out strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen early thursday morning (roughly 10 months ago). The attacks focused on underground bunkers used by the rebel group‚ whos been causing trouble in the Red Sea for about a year

Lloyd Austin‚ U.S Defense Secretary‚ stated that the bombers hit “five hardened underground weapons storage locations in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.“ This action shows off Americas ability to reach tough-to-get places; no matter how deep or strong they are

The Houthis have been a pain for shippers since late 2023‚ attacking more than 80 merchant ships. They say its about the Israel-Hamas fight‚ but many targeted vessels arent even linked to that mess. The Red Sea used to see $1 trillion worth of goods pass through yearly – now its become a war zone

Heres what the Houthis have been up to:
- Shooting at ships in the Red Sea
- Launching missiles at Israel
- Knocking down U.S drones
- Threatening more attacks after recent events in Lebanon

The rebels took over Yemens capital‚ Sanaa‚ about a decade ago. They get help from Iran‚ whos not too friendly with Israel or the U.S. This B-2 bomber attack might be a hint for Iran to back off

Its not clear yet what damage was done‚ but using B-2s is a big deal. These planes are rarely used for this kind of thing. The Houthis news channel talked about airstrikes near Sanaa and Saada‚ but didnt say much about whats broken or whos hurt

The U.S and its friends have been trying to stop these attacks‚ but the Houthis keep at it. Theyve even managed to sink two ships and grab one for themselves. Four sailors have died because of all this. The rebels say theyll keep going until Israel stops its actions in Gaza