Biden says he is justified in airstrikes in opposition to Iranian-backed militants

Joe Biden has advised Congress that he’s justified in his newest airstrikes in opposition to Iranian-backed militants in Yemen.

In a letter despatched to Congress, the US president mentioned he’s “consistent with the War Powers Resolution”, including that militia teams affiliated with Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) carried out a sequence of assaults in opposition to US personnel and amenities in Iraq and Syria. The newest strikes got here in response to an assault that killed three service members and injured dozens extra on the “Tower 22” base in Jordan.

Biden mentioned the US is “taking necessary and proportionate action consistent with international law” as self-defence. He additionally mentioned he isn’t ruling out “additional measures” ought to they develop into mandatory.

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Chad Pergram, Senior Congressional Correspondent for Fox News, mentioned that the president acknowledged: “The United States is taking necessary and proportionate action consistent with international law and in the exercise of the United States’ inherent right of self-defense as reflected in Article 51 of the United Nations Charter. If necessary, I will direct additional measures, including against the IRGC and IRGC-affiliated personnel and facilities, as appropriate, to address the series of attacks against United States forces and facilities.”

The US and Britain launched new airstrikes on Houthis within the southern Red Sea and the Bab al Mandab in Yemen final night time, the Ministry of Defence has mentioned. It is believed the strikes killed round 40 folks. RAF FGR4s have been supported by Voyager tankers, with the Typhoons using Paveway IV precision-guided bombs “against multiple military targets identified by careful intelligence analysis at three locations”, the MoD mentioned.

“At As Salif, due west of Sanaa on the Red Sea coast, our aircraft targeted a ground control station inside a defensive position. This station had been used to control Houthi drones, both attack and reconnaissance types, launched from further inland, operating over the sea against international shipping.

“A second drone ground control station was confirmed to be at Al Munirah, on the same stretch of coastline. As with As Salif, the station provided direct control of reconnaissance and attack drones targeting shipping in the Red Sea, its position on the coast allowing it to maintain the line of sight data links such weapons require to target ships with any accuracy.

“The Typhoons additionally attacked a major variety of targets at Bani. An preliminary group of amenities there have been efficiently struck by the RAF on the night time of January 11, and since then an additional set of buildings on the web site had been positively confirmed as concerned within the Houthi drone and missile operations and have been duly focused on this event.”

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British Defence Secretary Grant Shapps mentioned: “The Houthis’ attacks on commercial and military vessels in the Red Sea are illegal and unacceptable and it is our duty to protect innocent lives and preserve freedom of navigation. That is why the Royal Air Force engaged in a third wave of proportionate and targeted strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen. We acted alongside our US allies, with the support of many international partners, in self-defence and in accordance with international law.

“This will not be an escalation. We have already efficiently focused launchers and storage websites concerned in Houthi assaults, and I’m assured that our newest strikes have additional degraded the Houthis’ capabilities. Having just lately met these British personnel stationed within the area, I do know the dedication and professionalism with which they serve our nation’s armed forces and I want to thank them for making certain this operation was successful.”