The US said on Thursday it carried out “self-defence strikes” against Houthi targets in Yemen.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) on X published a statement about the strikes:
“On Feb. 8, between the hours of 5 a.m. – 9 p.m. (Sanaa [Yemen’s capital] time), US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces conducted seven self-defense strikes against four Houthi unmanned surface vessels (USV) and seven mobile anti-ship cruise missiles that were prepared to launch against ships in the Red Sea.”
CENTCOM said it believed the targets posed an “imminent threat” to US Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region. It added:
“These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US Navy and merchant vessels.”
Yemen’s Houthi group has targeted ships in the southern Red Sea. The group had previously warned that it would attack all ships travelling to Israel. It said the attacks were aimed at supporting Palestinians facing Israel’s “aggression and blockade” in Gaza.
The Red Sea is one of the world’s most frequently used sea routes for transporting oil and fuel.
US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin recently announced the creation of a multinational mission – Operation Prosperity Guardian – to counter Houthi attacks.
A Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder on Thursday said the US estimates that more than 100 missiles and launchers, including land- and surface-based anti-ship missiles, as well as numerous communications equipment, unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned surface ships, coastal radars, air surveillance and weapons storage sites have been destroyed since the coalition’s first strikes on 11 January.
Ryder said the US will not hesitate to defend lives and the free flow of commerce in “one of the world’s most vital waterways.” He noted:
“I will repeat again, that the US does not want escalation and that these strikes are directly in response to the actions by the Iranian-backed Houthis.”
