Following joint coalition strikes against Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen, the U.S. Central Command reported the destruction of an imminent threat—an anti-ship cruise missile poised for launch.
The strike, executed at approximately 4 a.m. (Sanaa time) on February 4, targeted the Houthi missile in Yemen’s territory. In a statement released, the US Central Command said, the missile was identified as a severe and immediate danger to U.S. Navy vessels and merchant ships navigating the Red Sea.
It is pertinent to note that the major development came just hours after joint strikes has been conducted in Yemen. Earlier, on the February 3 at around 11:30 p.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Central Command forces, joined by the UK Armed Forces and supported by Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, and New Zealand, conducted a series of precision strikes. These strikes targeted 36 Houthi sites across 13 locations within Houthi-controlled Yemen. The focus was on facilities utilized by Iranian-backed Houthi militants to launch attacks on international merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region, the official statement said.
The U.S. Central Command emphasized that these actions are part of an ongoing international effort to counter the escalating destabilizing and unlawful activities by Iranian-backed Houthi forces in the region. The primary objective of these strikes is to degrade Houthi capabilities responsible for the reckless and unlawful targeting of U.S. and U.K. ships, as well as international commercial shipping routes in vital waterways, including the Red Sea, Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden.
