Key events
Recent US strikes on Yemen have killed more than 100 people, Reuters notes. That figure includes 74 at an oil terminal in mid-April in what was the deadliest strike in Yemen under the Donald Trump so far, according to the Houthi-run health ministry.
Rights advocates have raised concerns about civilian killings. Houthi-controlled television said on Monday a US airstrike killed 68 people after striking a detention centre for African migrants in Yemen.
US and UK launch joint strikes on Houthis in Yemen
US and British forces conducted a joint military operation in Yemen on Tuesday, according to Britain’s Ministry of Defence, which said the operation was against a Houthi military target responsible for making drones like those used to attack shipping.
A British statement claimed intelligence analysis identified a cluster of buildings located 24 km (15 miles) south of Yemen’s capital Sana’a that were used by the Houthis to manufacture drones of the type used to attack ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
It is the first time the UK military has attacked Yemen since Donald Trump was inaugurated as US president for the second time. US vice-president JD Vance has been vocally dismissive of European defence capabilities. In March he criticised European forces as “some random country that hasn’t fought a war in 30 or 40 years”
Welcome and opening summary …
Welcome to the Guardian’s rolling coverage of the conflict in the Middle East. Here are the headlines …
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The US and UK have carried out strikes on Yemen. The Houthis reported several strikes around the capital, Sana’a, which the group has held since 2014. Other strikes hit around Saada
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UK defence secretary John Healey said “This action was taken in response to a persistent threat from the Houthis to freedom of navigation. A 55% drop in shipping through the Red Sea has already cost billions, fuelling regional instability and risking economic security for families in the UK”
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A British statement said intelligence analysis identified a cluster of buildings located about 24km (15 miles) south of Yemen’s capital that were used by the Houthis to manufacture drones of the type used to attack ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden
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Overnight Israel claims to have intercepted a drone launched from Yemen
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Israel’s IDF is to begin issuing draft orders to tens of thousands of reservists, officials have said. Reservists will be deployed in Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank, freeing up conscripted troops for duty inside Gaza
