CHARLOTTE, N.C (TNS) — United States airstrikes destroyed a Houthi anti-ship missile that was prepared for launch into the Gulf of Aden, the latest action against the Yemen-based militants that have targeted Red Sea commercial traffic for weeks.
U.S. forces struck at about 4 a.m. Saturday in Yemen after determining that the missile presented a threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region, the U.S. Central Command said in a statement.
Roughly 12% of global trade flowed through the Red Sea before the Houthis began targeting commercial ships. The attacks were a response to Israel’s bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which followed the Oct. 7 infiltration and attack on Israel by Hamas militants.
President Joe Biden said this week that while he doesn’t expect U.S. military action to end the Iran-backed group’s attacks, the airstrikes will continue. The number of cargo ships passing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a vital trade waterway, has plunged since the Houthi attacks began.
The U.S. and the U.K. are exploring ways to step up their campaign against the Houthis without provoking a broader war, with a focus on preemptive strikes and targeting resupply shipments from Iran, according to people familiar with the discussions.
The container ship, Kota Rahmat — with the destination ‘VSL NO LINK ISRAEL’ — approaches the Bab-el-Mandeb strait on Jan. 18, 2024, in Obock, Djibouti.
