The UK media has caused anger among US officials due to the disclosure of plans to carry out strikes in Yemen, as reported by the Telegraph.
The decision to authorize the military operation was made by British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak during an urgent cabinet meeting on Thursday morning.
Typically, such strikes are not publicly announced until after the bombers have returned to their bases. However, The Times managed to obtain information about the meeting and its agenda, reporting that the UK and the US would commence the strikes “within hours.” The Telegraph’s source, described as “well-placed,” stated that the US military expressed frustration with their British counterparts.
The UK government has been actively investigating the leak of this sensitive information, with officials expressing their deep disappointment.
The US chose not to make any public statements regarding the reports on the preparation of the strikes, while UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps stated that he had no knowledge of any frustrations in Washington.
The White House confirmed that during the strikes, the allied forces targeted sites associated with the production of drones and missiles used by the Houthis to carry out attacks on commercial shipping through the crucial Red Sea route.
Additionally, the US Central Command reported that an American destroyer launched Tomahawk cruise missiles at a radar facility the following day.
The Houthis, a Shia Islamist group that has held control over a significant portion of Yemen since the mid-2010s, have declared their intention to continue targeting merchant vessels linked to Israel until Israel ceases its ongoing conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
