Bombing Yemen. A warning or a test?
In a military action - the first of its kind - the Biden administration ordered B-2 bombers to attack Yemen .
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in a statement the late Wednesday operation was ordered by President Joe Biden to "further degrade" the Houthis' ability to launch attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea.
However, the strikes also appear to be a message aimed at Iran.
Austin did not mention Iran by name, but he said the use of the B-2 bomber, which is the only warplane in the U.S. arsenal that can carry 30,000-pound so-called bunker busting bombs, "was a unique demonstration of the United States' ability to target facilities that our adversaries seek to keep out of reach, no matter how deeply buried underground, hardened or fortified. The employment of U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit long-range stealth bombers demonstrates U.S. global strike capabilities to take action against these targets when necessary, anytime, anywhere."
A separate statement from Tampa, Florida-based U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, said U.S. Navy "assets" also took part in the attack.
The U.S. Air Force describes the B-2 as a "multi-role bomber" capable of delivering conventional and nuclear munitions. It can fly for about 6,000 nautical miles without refueling.