The United States military is striking additional targets in Yemen as Iranian-backed elements continue attacks on international shipping.
U.S. forces destroyed four anti-ship missiles deployed by the Iran-backed Houthis on Jan. 16 in response to a Houthi attack on a civilian vessel earlier in the day.
“At approximately 4:15 a.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Forces struck and destroyed four Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles,” reads a press statement from U.S. Central Command, which oversees operations in the region.
“These missiles were prepared to launch from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and presented an imminent threat to both merchant and U.S. Navy ships in the region.”
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the strikes were conducted to protect the lives and interests of American and international shipping efforts in the region.
Houthis Ramp Up Attacks on Commercial Shipping
The strikes follow several high-profile attacks by the Houthis in Yemen, whom the White House claims are receiving operational support from Iran.
The Houthis launched an anti-ship ballistic missile across international shipping lanes earlier in the day, which struck the Maltese-flagged bulk carrier M/V Zografia. The ship did not sink, however, and its crew continued to transit across the Red Sea.
That attack follows a similar incident from Jan. 15, in which Houthis in Yemen launched a missile at the M/V Gibraltar Eagle, a Marshall Islands-flagged container ship owned and operated by the United States.
The Houthis have launched more than 100 attacks on ships in the Red Sea since October. The group claims it is attacking Israel-bound ships in protest against Israel’s war in Gaza but has frequently targeted ships with no relationship to that region.
The White House claims that Iran is providing financing, intelligence, and operational support to the Houthis in order to interfere with global shipping in the Red Sea.
