The United States announced on Saturday that it had destroyed eight drones off the coast of Yemen the day before and four on the ground, in order to
“protect freedom of navigation”
from Houthi rebel attacks on maritime traffic which have increased in recent weeks.
These operations occur in a context of regional conflagration linked to the war between Israel and Palestinian Hamas in Gaza, in the grip of a major humanitarian crisis.
The strikes on Friday targeted a drone over the Gulf of Aden, seven in the Red Sea and four others on the ground, located in
“areas of Yemen controlled by the Houthis”
, a movement supported by Iran, the Command said. Middle East (Centcom) in a press release.
Centcom, however, did not indicate the origin of the drones destroyed off the coast of Yemen.
“These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer for U.S. Navy ships and merchant ships
,” he said.
Also read: Yemen: the United States targets the Houthis in response to their attacks in the Red Sea
Support for the people of Gaza
Controlling a large part of Yemen, a country at war for almost a decade, the Houthis claim to act in support of the population of Gaza, bombarded and completely besieged by Israel.
Other pro-Iranian armed groups in Iraq and Syria are increasing attacks against American interests in the region, always linked to the devastating war led by Israel, supported by the United States, after the bloody Hamas attack on Israeli soil on October 7.
US forces have launched a wave of airstrikes targeting elite Iranian forces and pro-Iranian groups in Iraq and Syria, in retaliation for an attack that killed three US soldiers last weekend in Jordan.
Washington promised other strikes in response to this attack which took place near the Syrian and Iraqi borders and cost the lives of three American soldiers.
The United States attributed this attack to Iran, which denied it.