Biden's Houthis Attack Upsets US Allies: 'Sea of Blood'

Allies are condemning strikes by the United States and United Kingdom on Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.

The armed forces of the U.S. and U.K., with support from Australia, Bahrain, Canada and the Netherlands, conducted joint strikes against Houthi-controlled areas on Thursday in Yemen. A senior Biden administration official said it was done in response to "ongoing and escalating Houthi attacks" against commercial ships in the Red Sea, with intentions "aimed specifically to disrupt and degrade Houthi capabilities to threaten global trade and freedom of navigation in one of the world's most critical waterways."

The attacks, which targeted Houthi missile, radar and UAV capabilities, came after weeks of escalation in the Red Sea with more than 20 attacks by Houthis since November 20. This strike came after nearly 20 drones and multiple missiles were launched against U.S. ships on Tuesday but were shot down by U.S. and U.K. naval forces acting on behalf of the multinational Operation Prosperity Guardian.

"All that has been done is a disproportionate use of force," Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Friday in Istanbul, according to multiple reports. "At the moment, [the U.S. and U.K.] are trying to turn the Red Sea into a sea of blood and Yemen, with the Houthis and by using all of its force, says it is and will give the necessary response in the region to the United States, Britain."

Newsweek reached out to the Pentagon and Erdogan's office via email for comment.

Turkey is a NATO member that has mostly supported the Yemeni government.

Kamal Beyoghlow, professor of international security at George Washington University, told Newsweek via email that Erdogan's statements "are exaggerated and designed mainly for domestic Turkish consumption."

"Erdogan is reacting to Secretary [Antony] Blinken's ongoing diplomatic Middle East peace overtures, which he considers to be totally untenable without Turkey because it bypasses Turkey altogether in favor of a Saudi-Israeli deal to reduce tensions in Gaza and at the same time, find at least a temporary exit strategy for Israel to wind down its operations both in Gaza, the West Bank, and along its northern border with Lebanon vis a vis, Hizballah," he said.

An unnamed Italian government source told Reuters that the nation declined to partake in the collective attacks, citing the pursuit of a "calming" policy in the region combined with a lack of parliamentary approval required for military engagement.

Countries that have joined the U.S., U.K. in condemning Houthi actions but did not participate in Thursday's attacks include Belgium, Germany, Denmark, New Zealand and Japan, per The Guardian.

Hadja Lahbib, the Belgian minister of foreign affairs, wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that the Houthis' ongoing attacks "are a real danger for the stability of the region and represent an escalation that benefits no one."

"Belgium is working with its EU partners and US ally to restore maritime security in the region and avoid any spillover," she added.

Nasreddin Amer, deputy information secretary for Ansar Allah, also known as the Houthis, told Newsweek on Thursday: "Any strike against us will be responded to, absolutely, without the slightest doubt, with all force and determination, and the region will be on the verge of escalation, the end of which no one knows."

U.K. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said in a statement issued Friday that the response was warranted following "a series of dangerous and destabilizing attacks" by the Houthis, who caused "major disruption to a vital trade route and driving up commodity prices."

"This cannot stand," Sunak said. "The United Kingdom will always stand up for freedom of navigation and the free flow of trade."

The U.K. Ministry of Defense said in a statement that four RAF Typhoon FGR4 aircraft used guided bombs to conduct precision strikes on two of the Houthi facilities: one at a site at Bani in northwestern Yemen used to launch reconnaissance and attack drones, the other on an airfield at Abbs, which has been a launch point for cruise missiles and drones over the Red Sea.

Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant General Mark Hertling wrote on X that it's difficult to put together a multinational strike like the one just executed against Houthi rebels.

"But—hear me out on this—perhaps while we were striking Houthis, a MN [multinational] force also sends a message to Iran: 'you don't want us coming after you, so tell your boys to knock it off,'" Hertling said.

Some members of President Joe Biden's own party rebuked the administration's decision to attack the Houthis, saying the attacks will lead to more violence and destabilization in the region.

Erdogan has also been vocal against Israel's continued attacks against Hamas and Palestinians in Gaza since the militant group's October 7 attack, repeatedly calling for a ceasefire. Hamas, deemed a terrorist organization by the U.S. and other NATO nations, is not recognized as such by Turkey.

"Just as Israel is a domestic issue for the United States and to a lesser extent to the UK, the Palestinian problem, and specifically Gaza, is a domestic issue for Turkey," Beyoghlow told Newsweek.

Turkey also has a history with the Houthis, he noted, as the country has been building bridges to them in recent years in a strategic manner, to carve a role for itself as a peace and power broker.

Some Turkish business and financial entities have been sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury for doing business with Houthi-supported entities in Sana'a, the capital of Yemen, due to the Houthis' support for the Palestinians, especially in Gaza.

"Erdogan is seeking to make Turkey a regional hegemon in competition with other regional and global hegemons, such as the U.S., whose interests often diverge from those of Turkey and the latter's grand strategic objectives in the Greater Middle East and beyond," Beyoghlow said.

He added: "[The] strikes by the U.S. and UK on Houthi-controlled territories in Yemen run against Turkish business, finance and strategic interests."

The Turkish president said Friday that his country is providing documents to the International Court of Justice to back South Africa's efforts to prove that Israel is allegedly committing genocide against Palestinians, according to Reuters.

Update 01/12/24, 4:07 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from Beyoghlow.