US military launches another wave of missiles against Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen

US military launches another wave of missiles against Houthi-controlled sites in Yemen

Another wave of ship and submarine launch missiles were fired by the US military against Houthi-controlled sites Wednesday in Yemen after an official announcement that the US has put the Houthis back on its list of specially designated global terrorists.

This is the fourth time in days that the US has directly targeted the Iran-backed rebel group in Yemen which has been targeting international shipping in the Red Sea since late last year. 

The latest strikes come a week after large-scale operations were carried out by US and UK warships and warplanes that hit more than 60 targets across Yemen.

After the US-led strikes last Friday, January 12, the White House had released US President Joe Biden’s statement where he said these strikes are in “direct response to unprecedented Houthi attacks against international maritime vessels in the Red Sea—including the use of anti-ship ballistic missiles for the first time in history.” 

“These attacks have endangered U.S. personnel, civilian mariners, and our partners, jeopardized trade, and threatened freedom of navigation, Biden said. 

The airstrikes also came right after US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken on Thursday completed a multi-nation Middle East trip, aimed at getting support for more aggressive action toward the Houthis.

In response to last week’s strike, Yemen’s Houthi rebels fired an anti-ship cruise missile toward an American destroyer in the Red Sea on Sunday, January 14. The missile was shot down by a US fighter jet.