In the last 24 hours, US military forces have conducted strikes against targets in Yemen controlled by the Houthi group, successfully destroying two drones, a ground control station, and three anti-ship cruise missiles, according to the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
Prior to these strikes, the Iran-aligned Houthi movement claimed responsibility for attacking a container ship in the Red Sea and two US destroyers in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday. CENTCOM issued a statement regarding the US actions, emphasizing that these weapons posed a direct and imminent threat to US and coalition forces, as well as merchant vessels in the area.
The statement further described the Houthi actions as 'reckless and dangerous,' asserting that they jeopardized regional stability. However, CENTCOM did not provide additional details or confirm any attacks on US vessels. The command oversees US military operations in the Middle East.
Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree earlier claimed that the Houthi air force had targeted the US destroyer Cole with drones and launched ballistic missiles at the US destroyer Laboon on the same day. He also mentioned that the Liberia-flagged container ship Contship Ono was attacked with ballistic missiles and drones. Despite these claims, Contships Management in Athens confirmed to Reuters that the vessel was not hit and all crew members were safe.
A US official stated that there was no evidence to support the Houthis' claims of attacking the two warships. The Houthi militants have intensified their drone and missile attacks on ships in the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden since November, in solidarity with the Palestinians in the Gaza conflict. These attacks have compelled shippers to alter their routes, opting for longer and more costly journeys around southern Africa.
However, the frequency of these attacks seemed to decline after Israel retaliated by striking military targets near Yemen's Hodeidah port on July 20, resulting in six deaths and over 80 injuries. This response came a day after a Houthi-launched drone targeted Israel's economic center in Tel Aviv.
