The U.S. military on Wednesday said it conducted strikes on 14 Houthi missiles positioned for launch in Yemen. This marked the fourth consecutive day of U.S. military actions in the region. In an official statement shared on the social media platform X, U.S. Central Command said the Houthi missiles posed an immediate threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships operating in the area.
The statement emphasized the necessity for the strikes, citing the potential launch capability of the missiles on their launch rails at any given moment. It stated, “These missiles on launch rails… could have been fired at any time, prompting U.S. forces to exercise their inherent right and obligation to defend themselves.”
The U.S. military said that these strikes, in conjunction with other measures taken, aimed to diminish the Houthi’s capabilities and deter their recurrent assaults on international and commercial shipping routes in the Red Sea, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden.
The attacks by the Iran-allied Houthi militia on ships in the region since November have disrupted trade between Asia and Europe, raising concerns among major global powers. The U.S. strikes specifically target the degradation of Houthi capabilities, with a focus on securing the Red Sea.
Despite the U.S. actions, the Houthis, who maintain control over most of Yemen, continue to assert their stance, claiming to act in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza and threatening an expansion of their attacks.
Earlier on Wednesday, U.S. Central Command reported a drone strike originating from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, targeting a U.S.-owned vessel in the Gulf of Aden. The attack caused some damage but resulted in no injuries, as confirmed on X. The targeted vessel, M/V Genco Picardy, is a U.S.-operated bulk carrier ship flying the Marshall Islands flag.
In response to these escalating events, the United States reclassified the Houthi rebels based in Yemen as a terrorist group. The militants, in turn, claimed responsibility for another recent attack on a U.S.-operated vessel in the Red Sea region earlier in the week.
(Input from Reuters)