According to the US military, on Wednesday, American forces performed “self-defense strikes” against Huthi missiles and launch points in rebel-controlled Yemen that constituted a danger to naval forces and commercial vessels in the Red Sea.
Since November, the Iran-backed Huthis, who hold sway over a large portion of war-torn Yemen, have been interfering with the crucial shipping route in what they claim is a show of support for Palestinians in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Before dawn Wednesday Sanaa time, “US Central Command forces conducted four self-defense strikes against seven mobile Huthi anti-ship cruise missiles and one mobile anti-ship ballistic missile launcher that were prepared to launch towards the Red Sea,” CENTCOM said in a statement on social media platform X.
The military said it also shot down a “one-way attack unmanned aircraft system.”
“CENTCOM forces identified the missiles, launchers and UAS originating from Huthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined that they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and to the US Navy ships in the region,” CENTCOM said.
The Pentagon reported on Tuesday that a US drone seemed to have been hit by a missile fired by Huthi rebels and fell off the coast of Yemen.
The attacks in the Red Sea have increased insurance costs for shipping businesses, making many of them steer clear of the crucial waterway that typically handles 12 percent of the world’s marine traffic.
