The joint attacks by the United States and the United Kingdom against Yemen risk escalating the situation in the Middle East.
This is emphasized by several experts on Friday morning.
Sky News' security and defense editor, Deborah Hayes, warns that the bombings could be the starting point for a larger war in the region.
"Attacking a region already on the brink of a major conflict is a high-risk balancing act. However, doing nothing was clearly not an option," writes the security expert.
Hayes refers to the Houthi rebels being backed by the dictatorship of Iran and that the US-led attack is the biggest escalation in the region since Israel started its war against the terrorist group Hamas.
"This significantly increases the risk of miscalculations, which could lead to an uncontrolled escalation," emphasizes the Sky News expert.
Risk of "Severe Escalation"
Swedish televison channel, SVT's foreign correspondent Stina Blomgren shares Deborah Hayes' assessment.
She warns that the risk has increased for Yemen and other Iran-backed countries to be drawn into the war between Israel and Hamas.
"With the attacks in Yemen, there is a dynamic that could lead to a very severe escalation.
"The big concern in the long term is that it leads to more countries being drawn into the conflict," says Blomgren on SVT's Morning Studio.
Background
The United States and the United Kingdom have attacked numerous targets in Yemen used by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. In total, 60 targets at 16 different locations have been shelled, according to the U.S. Air Force. At least five people have been killed.
The attacks are described as a response to the rebels' shelling against international ships in the Red Sea.
"I will not hesitate to direct further actions to protect our people and the free flow of international trade as needed," says US President Joe Biden in a statement.
"These attacks are a direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks on international maritime vessels in the Red Sea, including the use of ballistic missiles against ships for the first time in history."
The Houthi militia has commented on the attack.
The group's spokesperson says that the actions of the USA and the UK are unjustified and that the Houthi militia will continue to attack ships headed for Israel.
