US conducts fourth round of strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen

• Pentagon confirms US conducted a fourth round of strikes on Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen.
• American forces targeted 14 Houthi missiles.
• Tomahawk missiles fired from US Navy vessels used in the strikes.

On Wednesday night, Pentagon officials confirmed that the US had conducted a fourth round of strikes on Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. US Navy vessels fired Tomahawk missiles to target 14 Houthi missiles, which American forces believed were intended for attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, according to a report from the US Middle East command, Centcom.

The military action coincided with the US designation of the Houthis as “global terrorists.” Jake Sullivan, the US National Security Advisor, stated that this decision, reversing an earlier move by the Biden administration to remove the designation, was a response to the militants’ ongoing attacks on commercial shipping in the region.

The Houthis initiated attacks on merchant vessels in November, citing Israel’s military operation in Gaza as justification. Subsequently, the group launched numerous attacks on commercial tankers navigating the Red Sea, a critical global shipping lane. In response to these provocations, the US and UK, supported by Australia, Bahrain, the Netherlands, and Canada, initiated a series of airstrikes against multiple Houthi targets on January 11. The military action followed the Houthi forces’ refusal to comply with an ultimatum to cease their attacks in the region.

Who are the Houthis attacking Red Sea ships?

Following additional attacks on commercial shipping, the US carried out strikes on Houthi targets on Wednesday. Earlier that day, the group targeted a US-owned and operated vessel for the second time within the week.

Centcom reported that the rebels utilized a one-way drone to attack the M/V Genco Picardy in the Gulf of Aden. The incident caused some damage to the ship, but it did not result in any injuries to crew members.

On Monday, the Houthis launched a ballistic missile at another US vessel, marking what seemed to be the group’s first successful attack on an American ship since the beginning of their campaign.

US officials stated that the strikes on Wednesday were pre-emptive and aimed at destroying weapons that the militants were about to imminently fire.

“These missiles on launch rails presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region and could have been fired at any time, prompting US forces to exercise their inherent right and obligation to defend themselves,” Centcom said in a statement.

“These strikes, along with other actions we have taken, will degrade the Houthi’s capabilities to continue their reckless attacks on international and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden,” the statement added.

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