Houthi launches missile at US F-16 fighter for first time

Reuters on February 22 quoted two US officials as saying that Houthi forces in Yemen launched surface-to-air missiles at a US fighter jet and an MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), but both missed their targets.

Houthi missile claimed to have been launched towards Israel in an incident in 2024

The attacks took place this week and it is unclear whether they were over the Red Sea or over Yemen. Although they missed, US officials say the Houthis are improving their targeting capabilities.

Fox News reported that the missile was launched at the US F-16 fighter jet on February 19, when the aircraft was flying over Yemen but outside the Houthi-controlled area. This is believed to be the first time the Houthis have launched a surface-to-air missile at a US F-16.

Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said on February 13 that he would use missiles and UAVs to target ships in the Red Sea if the US and Israel forced Palestinians out of the Gaza Strip.

US President Donald Trump has sparked a backlash after announcing plans to take over the Gaza Strip and remove Palestinians from the enclave permanently. The plan has been opposed by Arab countries in the region such as Jordan and Egypt.

A fighter jet takes off from an aircraft carrier during the US-led air campaign against the Houthis in January 2024.

The Houthis, allied with Iran, have carried out several attacks on ships off the coast of Yemen since November 2023 in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. They also regularly launch missiles towards Israel.

In his first week in office, President Trump redesignated the Houthis as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. The White House announced that it would work with regional partners to destroy the Houthis’ capabilities, deplete their resources, and end attacks on U.S. forces, partners, and maritime operations in the Red Sea.

Israel airstrikes Hezbollah

Image of late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah at the stadium in Beirut before his funeral on February 23

Regarding the situation in the Middle East, on February 22, the Israeli army carried out an airstrike on a cross-border route between Syria and Lebanon that Hezbollah used to bring weapons into Lebanon, according to AFP. The Israeli army declared that this weapon transfer violated the commitment between the two countries.

Israel and Hezbollah reached a ceasefire agreement in November 2024. Under the agreement, Israel withdrew from most of southern Lebanon and the Beirut army and UN peacekeepers entered the area to ensure security. Hezbollah also withdrew north of the Litani River in Lebanon, about 30 km from the border, and destroyed the remaining military infrastructure in the south.

The Israeli airstrike came just before Hezbollah buried its late leader Hassan Nasrallah on February 23. Nasrallah was killed in an Israeli airstrike south of Beirut about five months ago.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/houthi-lan-dau-phong-ten-lua-ve-phia-tiem-kich-f-16-my-185250223090201848.htm