In the latest indication of the spread of conflict in the Middle East since the outbreak of war between Israel and Hamas, which began on October 7 of last year, the United States and Britain carried out strikes on 36 targets in Yemen, yesterday, Saturday, on the second day of American operations against... Armed militias loyal to Iran following an attack on American forces early last week that resulted in the killing of 3 soldiers.

The Pentagon said that the strikes targeted underground facilities to store weapons, systems, missile launchers, and other capabilities that the Houthis use to attack shipping in the Red Sea. She added that the strikes targeted 13 locations across the country.

US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said, "This collective action sends a clear message to the Houthis that they will continue to bear more repercussions if they do not stop their illegal attacks on international shipping and naval vessels."

The strikes in Yemen coincide with a US military retaliation campaign after three American soldiers were killed in a drone attack by Iranian-backed militants on a site in Jordan.

On Friday, the United States carried out the first wave of this retaliation, striking in Iraq and Syria more than 85 targets linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard and the factions it supports, killing nearly 40 people.

While Washington accuses pro-Iranian factions of attacking American forces at bases in Iraq, Syria and Jordan, the Yemeni Houthis linked to Iran regularly target commercial ships and warships in the Red Sea.

The Houthis, who control the most populated areas in Yemen, say that their attacks come in solidarity with the Palestinians while Israel launches an attack on the Gaza Strip. But the United States and its allies describe these attacks as indiscriminate and a threat to global trade.

Faced with escalating violence in the Red Sea, major shipping lines have largely abandoned the vital trade route for longer routes around Africa. This has increased costs, heightened concerns about global inflation, while depriving Egypt of important revenues from shipping companies navigating the Suez Canal to and from the Red Sea.

The United States launched more than a dozen strikes against Houthi targets in the past few weeks, but has not yet succeeded in stopping the group's attacks.

Just hours before the latest major wave of strikes from sea and air, the US military's Central Command issued statements detailing other, more limited strikes last day that included hitting six cruise missiles that the Houthis were preparing to launch against ships in the Red Sea.

At approximately 4 a.m. (0100 GMT), the US military bombed a Houthi anti-ship cruise missile that was preparing to be launched.

The United States said that in addition to missile capabilities, the strikes targeted storage and operations sites for drones, radars, and helicopters.

Despite the strikes against Iranian-backed groups, the Pentagon said it does not want war with Iran and does not believe Tehran wants war either. American Republicans are intensifying pressure on Democratic President Joe Biden to launch a direct strike on Iran.

It is not clear how Tehran will respond to strikes that do not directly target Iran but weaken the groups it supports.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said in a statement that the attacks in Iraq and Syria represent “another strategic adventure and mistake committed by the American government, with no result other than increased tension and instability in the region.”