The US has carried out a fourth round of strikes on Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, Pentagon officials confirmed on Wednesday night.
Some 14 Houthi missiles, which the US says may have been intended for attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, were targeted by American forces.
Centcom – the US Middle East command – said the sites were struck by Tomahawk missiles fired from US Navy vessels.
The strikes come as the US designated the Houthis as “global terrorists”.
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the move, which reversed a decision to remove the designation in the early days of the Biden administration, was in response to the militants’ ongoing attacks on commercial shipping in the region.
The Houthis began attacking merchant vessels in November, saying they were responding to Israel’s military operation in Gaza. Since then, the group has launched dozens of attacks on commercial tankers passing through the Red Sea, one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
In response, the US and UK launched a wave of air strikes against dozens of Houthi targets on 11 January. The strikes – supported by Australia, Bahrain, the Netherlands, and Canada – began after Houthi forces ignored an ultimatum to cease their attacks in the region.
Wednesday’s strikes on Houthi targets followed further attacks on commercial shipping. Hours earlier, the group struck a US-owned and operated vessel for the second time this week.
The rebels used a one-way drone to target the M/V Genco Picardy in the Gulf of Aden, Centcom said. The ship suffered some damage, but no crew members were injured in the attack.
