Shafaq News/ On Friday, Muhammad Abdel Salam, the Houthis' top negotiator, strongly condemned the U.S. and U.K. strikes in Yemen, suggesting that it was carried out to protect Israel.

Abdel Salam stated, "The Republic of Yemen was subjected to a blatant American-British aggression to protect Israel and to stop Yemen's operations in support of Gaza. They committed foolishness with this treacherous aggression."

The Yemeni top official emphasized that the "aggressors were mistaken if they believed this action would deter Yemen from supporting Palestine and Gaza." Instead, he asserted, "Yemen continues its religious and humanitarian stance" and will persist in standing by Gaza, becoming even more resolute in the face of such aggression.

According to Abdel Salam, Yemen's unwavering support for Gaza remains constant, regardless of the circumstances. He strongly refuted any justification for the aggression against Yemen, stating that there was no threat to international navigation in the Red and Arabian Seas. He further claimed that the targeting was and will continue to impact Israeli ships or those heading to the ports of occupied Palestine.

On Friday, American and British forces attacked Yemen's Houthi fighters with air, ship, and submarine strikes targeting weapons storage as well as logistic facilities.

U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement from the White House that "this attack is in direct response to unparalleled attacks by Houthi forces against international maritime vessels traversing the Red Sea."

According to Biden's statement, the strikes were supported by Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands "to endanger freedom of navigation in one of the world's most vital waterways."

U.S. Air Forces Central Commander Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich revealed that the strikes targeted over 60 sites at 16 Houthi locations, including command and control nodes, munitions depots, launching systems, production facilities, and air defense radar systems."

In turn, Russia formally requested an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council to address the strikes on Yemen.

Russia's permanent mission to the United Nations said, "Russia has requested an urgent meeting of the U.N. Security Council on January 12 in connection with the U.S. and U.K. strikes on Yemen."

Ansarallah (Houthis), a prominent group in the Iran-backed Axis of Resistance, was involved in the conflict days after the Israeli aggression against Gaza, which killed so far more than 23,500 Palestinians, mostly children and women.

The Houthis, which control much of Yemen, have launched many missiles towards the Israeli areas and prevented any Israeli-involved ships from crossing the Red Sea through Bab Al-Mandeb.

The Yemeni group asserted that its operations would continue until the end of the Israeli war against Palestinians.