In the past 24 hours, U.S. military forces have carried out strikes on targets in Yemen controlled by the Houthi rebels, according to U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). The strikes resulted in the destruction of two drones, a Houthi ground control station, and three anti-ship cruise missiles.
Earlier, the Iran-aligned Houthi movement claimed responsibility for attacking a container ship in the Red Sea and two U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Aden on Wednesday. CENTCOM responded by stating, “These weapons posed a clear and imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces, as well as merchant vessels in the region.” The statement criticized the Houthis’ “reckless and dangerous behavior” as a threat to regional stability, but did not provide additional details or confirm any attacks on U.S. vessels.
CENTCOM, which oversees U.S. military operations in the Middle East, has not verified the Houthis’ claims. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Saree reported that the Houthis’ air force launched drones at the U.S. destroyer Cole and fired ballistic missiles at the U.S. destroyer Laboon. He also mentioned that the Liberia-flagged container ship Contship Ono was targeted with ballistic missiles and drones. However, Contships Management in Athens confirmed that the vessel was not hit and its crew is safe.
A U.S. official stated that there is no evidence to support the Houthi claim of attacks on the two warships. Since November, the Houthis have frequently targeted ships in key shipping lanes, including the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden, in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza conflict. These attacks have forced shippers to reroute cargo, resulting in longer and more costly journeys around southern Africa. The frequency of these attacks has decreased following Israeli strikes near Yemen’s Hodeidah port on July 20, which killed six people and injured over 80, just a day after a Houthi drone strike hit Tel Aviv.