Official UN records or statements from the Iranian government

US B-2 Bombers Strike Houthi Underground Sites in Yemen, First Use Since 2017

Oct 17, 2024, 04:05 AM

The United States conducted precision airstrikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets in Yemen on Wednesday evening. The strikes targeted five hardened underground weapons storage facilities controlled by the Houthis in Sanaa and Saada. The U.S. military employed B-2 Spirit stealth bombers for the operation, marking the first use of these aircraft in combat since 2017, when they were used against ISIS in Libya. The bombers flew from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, demonstrating the U.S.'s global strike capabilities. According to U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, the strikes were approved by President Biden and represent a "unique demonstration of the United States’ ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened, or fortified." The targeted facilities contained advanced conventional weapons used to target U.S. and international ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The Houthis have vowed to retaliate. The strikes are seen as a message to Iran, highlighting the U.S.'s ability to reach deeply buried or fortified facilities.