On Friday, U.S. forces attacked more than a dozen people. Houthis U.S. officials told CBS News they used both aircraft and warships to strike targets in Yemen.
A statement from U.S. Central Command said the strikes hit 15 targets, including Houthi offensive military capabilities, and that the strikes were “intended to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer for U.S., coalition, and commercial shipping.” “It was.
The Houthis last week launched what the Pentagon called a “complex attack” using cruise missiles and drones near U.S. Navy ships. According to the Pentagon, weapons fired by Houthi rebels were shot down or misfired by naval vessels.
Although none of the U.S. ships were hit and no U.S. personnel were injured, the attack further demonstrated that months of U.S. airstrikes have failed to dissuade the Houthis from a campaign to target shipping in the Red Sea.
Since November, Houthi rebels have targeted more than 100 ships, sinking two and kidnapping one. The group said it was launching the attacks to protest Israel’s war on Gaza, but U.S. officials said many of the ships targeted had nothing to do with Israel’s war.
Recently, the Houthis went after Israel directly and launched drones at Tel Aviv. July And the missile will be launched in September. Both attacks prompted an Israeli response. targeting site In Yemen.
U.S. Central Command forces regularly launch strikes against Houthi missile or drone launchers when there are indications that the rebels are planning attacks on U.S. forces or commercial shipping, but Friday’s strike targeted more Houthi infrastructure .
Earlier this year, the United States and the United Kingdom conducted several joint airstrikes targeting infrastructure such as launch pads as well as storage facilities. Neither widespread attacks nor “whack-a-mole” type attacks appear to have persuaded the Houthis to stop their attacks.
In August, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh acknowledged that the Houthis continued to retain offensive capabilities, but said attacks targeting infrastructure had degraded some of their capabilities.
“They still maintain a powerful arsenal, but their capabilities may have deteriorated over time,” Singh said.
Houthi rebels like Hamas in Gaza Hezbollah In Lebanon, they received support and weapons. Iran.
