US forces announced they carried out airstrikes against five missiles in Yemen on Sunday (February 4), the day after a wave of US-British air raids in the country in response to attacks by Houthi rebels in the Red Sea.
The US military “conducted a strike in self-defense” against “a Houthi land-attack cruise missile” and then against “four anti-ship cruise missiles, all prepared for launch against ships in the Red Sea,” a statement said. communicated the US Middle East Command (Centcom) on social networks.
Washington “identified the missiles in areas of Yemen controlled by the Houthis and determined that they presented an imminent threat to US naval vessels and merchant ships in the region,” Centcom added.
On Saturday, Washington and London carried out air raids against Iran-backed Houthi rebels – their third joint military action in response to attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea.
Attacks “in solidarity” with Palestinians in Gaza
The Houthis began targeting maritime traffic in the Red Sea in November, saying they were targeting ships linked to Israel “in solidarity” with Palestinians in Gaza, where Israel is at war with Hamas.
US and British forces responded with raids against the Houthis, who have since also designated US and British interests as legitimate targets.
Anger over Israel’s devastating military campaign in Gaza, which began after an unprecedented deadly Hamas attack on October 7, continues to swell in the Middle East, leading to an outbreak of violence in Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen.
On January 28, a drone struck a base in Jordan, killing three American soldiers and injuring more than 40. The attack was attributed by Washington to pro-Iran groups. The United States responded on Friday with retaliatory strikes against targets linked to Tehran in Syria and Iraq.