Houthis say US-UK airstrikes will not go unpunished or unanswered

Houthi followers raise their weapons in the air at a tribal rally. The Houthis regard the attacks by America as a moment of vindication. Photograph: Mohammed Hamoud/Getty Images

Houthi leaders have vowed defiance in the face of a new wave of attacks they say targeted five governorates, including the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, and surrounding areas.

A Houthi army spokesperson, Brig Gen Yahya Saree, said the allied attacks would not go unpunished or unanswered. Houthi leaders also repeated that their threats to ships in the Red Sea were solely directed at stopping commercial ships trading with Israel due to its bombardment of Gaza. They insisted other ships had free passage. Some ships navigating the Red Sea have put out identifiers saying they are “not Israeli connected”.