The American response continues in the Red Sea.
The United States announced on Saturday that it had struck six Houthi anti-ship missiles in Yemen in order to “protect freedom of navigation” from rebel attacks on maritime traffic which have increased in recent weeks.
The strikes on Saturday targeted six Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles "ready to be launched against ships in the Red Sea", the US Middle East Command (Centcom) said in a statement.
USCENTCOM Destroys Six Anti-Ship Cruise Missiles in Yemen
On Feb.
3, at approximately 7:20 pm (Sanaa time), US Central Command forces conducted strikes in self-defense against six Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea.
US forces… pic.twitter.com/W9BVxiYedU
— US Central Command (@CENTCOM) February 3, 2024
These missiles were located according to Centcom “in areas of Yemen controlled by the Houthis”.
U.S. forces determined they posed “an imminent threat to U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region,” Centcom said.
“These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer for U.S. Navy ships and merchant ships,” he also said.
Eight drones destroyed on Friday
The United States announced earlier in the day that it had destroyed eight drones off the coast of Yemen and four on the ground on Friday in order to “protect freedom of navigation” from Houthi rebel attacks on maritime traffic.
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.
Read also Houthis of Yemen: from guerrilla warfare to attacks in the Red Sea, the irresistible rise of an influential family
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 attack by Hamas on the 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.