NATO has stressed that the attack by the US, UK and its allies on Houthi forces in Yemen was a defensive operation.
NATO supports US decision to respond to Houthi attacks
The NATO spokesman said that the US and British military's strikes on Iranian-backed Houthi forces in Yemen were "defensive and aimed at preserving freedom of navigation on one of the world's most important waterways".
The Alliance stresses that it is official Tehran that supports the Houthi forces.
This means that Iran has a special responsibility "to restrain its puppets".
It is important to understand that NATO did not take part in the airstrikes, but they were carried out by the United States and the United Kingdom, which are members of the Alliance, and two other NATO members, the Netherlands and Canada, provided support.
The statement by the Alliance spokesperson did not specify whether all members of the bloc support the strikes.
US, UK and allies attack Houthis in Yemen: latest details
On the night of 12 January, the United States, the United Kingdom and their allies began striking Houthi targets in Yemen.
The US and British military conducted 60 strikes against 16 enemy targets. They attacked enemy UAVs, unmanned surface vessels, cruise missiles and coastal surveillance radars.
The military used more than 100 pieces of high-precision weaponry and hit targets with Tomahawk cruise missiles from ships and a submarine.
The alliance of states created to protect shipping in the Red Sea from Yemen's Houthis issued a joint statement calling air strikes against the Houthis legitimate self-defence.
A joint statement by Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and Canada was released by the White House.
