U.S. forces struck 14 Houthi missiles in Yemen prepared to fire against ships in the Red Sea, U.S. Central Command announced Wednesday night.
It is not clear what U.S. forces were involved in the strikes, which were carried out just before midnight on Jan. 18 local time.
“These missiles on launch rails presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region and could have been fired at any time, prompting U.S. forces to exercise their inherent right and obligation to defend themselves,” reads the release. “These strikes, along with other actions we have taken, will degrade the Houthi’s capabilities to continue their reckless attacks on international and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden.”
The strikes on the Houthi weapons follow a Houthi strike on M/V Genco Picardy, a U.S.-owned and operated bulk carrier ship flying under a Marshalls Island flag. Glenco Picardy is listed on Glenco Shipping’s fleet.
The tensions between the U.S. and Houthis have continued to flare in the Red Sea since the U.S. and United Kingdom conducted at least 30 strikes on Houthi targets on Jan. 11. Although Houthi strikes have happened since Oct. 7, following Hamas attacks in Southern Israel and the subsequent bombing of Gaza, Houthis and U.S. strikes have happened between the two forces since the U.S. and U.K. coordinated strikes.
During a Wednesday press conference, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder told reporters that despite the tensions between the Houthis, which say they are disrupting Red Sea shipping in order to support Palestine, the conflict in the Middle East has stayed between Israel and Hamas.
