“This is about preventing them from hitting commercial and, quite frankly, naval ship activity in and around the Red Sea” and protecting Israel, John Kirby told reporters.
U.S. airstrikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen will continue as long as the specially designated global terrorist group continues to pose a threat to Israel and international shipping, a White House adviser told journalists on Friday.
A reporter asked if the Biden administration intends, before leaving office in January, to crush the terrorists. John Kirby, the White House national security communications advisor, said that the focus is on undermining the Houthis’ ability to launch attacks in the Red Sea.
“This is about destroying their ability to conduct these kinds of attacks. It’s not about wiping every Houthi fighter off the map,” Kirby said. “This is about preventing them from hitting commercial and, quite frankly, naval ship activity in and around the Red Sea, as well as helping degrade and prevent their ability to continue to launch drones and missiles at Israel.”