The US military launched an anti-ship missile into Huthi-held Yemen early on Saturday, just hours after rebels backed by Iran used a similar weapon to set fire to a British tanker in the Gulf of Aden.
In an effort to lessen the Huthis’ capacity to target ships passing through the vital Red Sea trade route, US and British forces have joined forces to launch joint strikes. The rebels claim that these bombings are in support of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where Israel and Hamas are at war.
The Huthis have promised to keep up their attacks, despite Washington’s numerous unilateral airstrikes.
The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said it had carried out another strike early Saturday morning on a Huthi “anti-ship missile aimed into the Red Sea and which was prepared to launch”.
“Forces subsequently struck and destroyed the missile in self-defense,” it added in a statement on social media platform X.
The previous evening, the British oil tanker the Marlin Luanda was hit by missiles fired by Yemeni naval forces, said the Huthis’ military spokesman, Yahya Saree.
“The strike was direct, and resulted (in) the burning of the vessel,” he added.
Later, CENTCOM verified the impact by stating: “The ship reported damage and made a distress call. Coalition ships, including USS Carney (DDG 64), have reacted and are offering support. As of right now, no injuries have been reported.”
According to CENTCOM, the Huthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile from Yemen earlier on Friday, aiming it against the Carney in the Gulf of Aden.
“The missile was successfully shot down by USS Carney. There were no injuries or damage reported,” it added.
