Hours after the strikes, the Iran-backed militants fired an anti-ship ballistic missiles at a Maltese-flagged bulk carrier, which said it was struck but remained seaworthy and continued to travel, according to CENTCOM. The U.S. previously conducted unilateral strikes on a Houthi radar site used to support attacks on international shipping on Friday designed to degrade the Houthis’ ability to mount additional attacks and were separate from Operation Prosperity Guardian, a U.S.-led coalition to defend freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.
“At approximately, 4:15 a.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Forces struck and destroyed four Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles prepared to launch from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen,” CENTCOM said in the statement.
The Houthis have claimed their attacks are targeting vessels linked to Israel, but U.S. officials dispute that characterization. The Iran backed group expanded the scope of targets to include U.S.-owned and operated commercial vessels, according to Reuters. (RELATED: US Navy Seizes Iranian Weapons Bound To Resupply Houthi Rebels)
Tuesday’s strikes are the latest follow-on operation to the multilateral strikes on Thursday night against dozens of targets, including radars, missile launch sites and storage facilities, munitions depots and other targets at 16 locations.
The U.S. had threatened to take further retaliatory action if necessary to protect U.S. forces and reinforce freedom of navigation through international waters against the Houthis’ attacks.
“We will make sure that we respond to the Houthis as they continue this outrageous behavior, along with our allies,” President Joe Biden said Friday.
“If necessary, we will take follow-on actions to protect U.S. forces,” Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a statement after the Thursday strikes.
Iran-backed Houthis had vowed to retaliate against the U.S. for strikes on targets and locations enabling the rebel group to conduct more than two dozen attacks on international shipping since Nov. 19, The Associated Press reported.
On Monday, the Houthis fired an anti-ship ballistic missile striking the U.S.-owned dry bulk carrier Gibraltar Eagle, the U.S. military said.
U.S. fighter aircraft also took down an anti-ship cruise missile the Houthi rebels in Yemen fired toward a U.S. Navy destroyer on Sunday near the coast of al-Hudaydah, Yemen’s main port city, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.
The aircraft that destroyed the cruise missile were land-based and did not operate from the Navy aircraft carrier on patrol in the region as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian, The War Zone reported, citing a U.S. official.
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) January 12, 2024
The U.S.’ mideast command has confirmed at least 28 attacks against international shipping since mid-November. Additional attacks have been reported on top of that number.
There were reports of a vessel hit in its cargo hold on Tuesday by an unknown object, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) group. It was not immediately confirmed whether the attack originated from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen.
The Pentagon and CENTCOM did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
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