The Iranian-backed Houthis carried out another assault on merchant shipping on Tuesday, shortly after the United States launched a preemptive strike on missiles in Yemen that were ready to be launched, as stated by the U.S. Central Command.
According to the statement released on Tuesday, the U.S. successfully targeted four anti-ship ballistic missiles in the Red Sea that posed an immediate threat to U.S. Navy ships and commercial vessels.
However, later in the day, the Houthis attacked another merchant ship in the Red Sea, indicating that the group is persisting with their assaults on shipping despite retaliatory strikes by the U.S. While the Houthis have declared their intention to target ships associated with Israel and its allies, U.S. officials have clarified that many of the attacked vessels have no connection to Israel.
Last week, with support from other nations, the U.S. and U.K. conducted strikes on nearly 30 locations, targeting radar systems, air defense systems, and storage and launch sites for one-way attack unmanned aerial systems, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles, according to a statement from the U.S. Central Command.
U.S. Strikes Houthi Radar Site in Yemen
Early Saturday, the U.S. conducted another strike in Yemen, targeting a Houthi radar site. This action highlights the ongoing tensions in the region.
The Biden administration has made it clear that it is committed to preventing Israel's conflict with Hamas from escalating into a larger regional war. However, recent attacks by Houthi rebels on commercial shipping, along with the continued assaults by Iranian-backed militias on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria, demonstrate that the instability in the Middle East extends beyond the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
