US launches wave of air strikes on Yemen's Houthis
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What is the main topic of this episode?
This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Janet Jalil, and in the early hours of Sunday, the 16th of March, these are our main stories. Donald Trump has ordered what he calls decisive and powerful military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. An aid charity in Gaza says Israeli airstrikes there have killed eight people who were on a relief mission. Israel maintains it targeted terrorists. Huge crowds in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, have taken part in one of the biggest rallies so far against government corruption. Also in this podcast, Elon Musk says he intends to send a rocket to Mars by the end of next year. But can it be done that soon?
Ideally, you need a way of refueling a spacecraft that's capable to take you to Mars. And for that, you probably most likely need some sort of infrastructure around the moon.
The United States has launched large-scale strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. President Donald Trump said he'd ordered what he called a decisive and powerful wave of airstrikes against the Iranian-backed group to stop its constant attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, which began after the Israeli military went into Gaza in response to the Hamas October 7th attacks.
What are the details of the US air strikes in Yemen?
The US strikes are reported to have targeted air defence and radar systems and missile and drone sites. Images shared online show plumes of black smoke in the area over the airport complex in the capital Sana'a, which includes a sprawling military facility. As we record this podcast, the Houthi-run health ministry says at least nine civilians have been killed. Firaz Maqsad is managing director of the Middle East and North Africa section at the Eurasia Group. He told my colleague... and Jana Gadgil how this could play out.
How are international relations affected by the strikes?
I think the broader message though here from the Trump administration, which has been planning this for weeks, has coordinated with its allies, the Arab Gulf, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and others. There's a dual message here. One is towards Iran. Clearly, President Trump here wants to negotiate from a position of strength and leverage. And this is what he's doing by threatening one of their proxies in the region. The second one is also domestic. If very much underscoring that the Biden administration was unable to deal effectively with the Houthi threat to shipping in the Red Sea. There's a new sheriff in town. There's a new way of doing business. He will be much tougher than his predecessor was.
So what reaction do you expect from Iran? And how does this strike affect relationships between the U.S. and Iran?
The Iranians are generally cautious. And so this will take some time to play out. We will probably see some kind of Houthi retaliation against American bases and assets in the region. Djibouti comes to mind right across from the Red Sea where there are American assets. There's concern about American assets in places like Saudi Arabia and the UAE. We'll have to see what kind of response the Houthis will muster.
The group's attacks against ships in the Red Sea has been going on for some time now. How does the Trump approach differ from President Biden's approach before?
Well, for one, this is a much broader campaign. This seems to be also much more forceful in terms of the targets that were hit today. My information is that this is not a one-off. This will be ongoing. And so this is really a different caliber of message that's being sent to the Houthis.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is the main topic of this episode?
0:53–2:16
2
What are the details of the US air strikes in Yemen?
2:16–2:49
3
How are international relations affected by the strikes?
2:49–5:29
4
What is the impact of tourism on Japan's hot springs?
5:29–7:25
5
What is the current state of Ukraine's conflict?
7:25–11:12
6
How are tornadoes affecting the US?
11:12–33:56