Houthi rebels won’t be stopped by a single raid – we must hit them again

When it comes, the Iran-backed militia’s retaliation on the West will be defiant, to show the world they are undefeated, says General Sir Richard Barrons. It might also prove to be the next salvo in a wider conflict between global powers

Houthi fighters at a training camp in Yemen (REUTERS)

After some traditional political and media choreography, the US and the UK last night attacked 16 sites in Yemen with a combination of bombs and missiles fired from at sea and in the air.

This action was supported by several other states, including some in the region, allowing four Typhoon jets to fly to Yemen from Cyprus, no doubt refuelling in the air en route. The objective was to destroy some of the launch sites, ammunition dumps, and command and control facilities that have enabled the Houthis to attack international shipping in the Red Sea on 26 occasions since last November.

Will the Houthi attacks now stop, or continue – and might this action lead to an escalation of the current crisis in the Middle East centred on Gaza?