SANAA, YEMEN – The United States conducted a “self-defense” strike early Thursday, destroying multiple projectiles prepared by Houthi militants in Yemen to target commercial ships, a U.S. official told Fox News.
This marks the 12th time since January 11th that the U.S. has carried out strikes against the Houthis in Yemen, with the latest strike occurring less than 24 hours after the previous one. The U.K. was not involved in this strike, which was unilaterally carried out by the U.S.
Thursday morning’s strike is unrelated to Sunday’s drone attack that killed three U.S. soldiers and injured over 40 others at a base in Jordan. The U.S. struck a Houthi anti-aircraft surface-to-air missile that was preparing to launch from a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen.
According to a U.S. official, the surface-to-air missile posed an imminent threat to U.S. aircraft patrolling the area. Houthi militants, based in Yemen, have been firing upon commercial ships in the Red Sea in support of Palestinians killed in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.
The attacks have caused ships to avoid the Red Sea and reroute, resulting in significant costs and delays. Ship volumes in the area have plummeted, with nearly 40% fewer vessels passing through the canal, leading to a 45% decline in freight tonnage since early December.
None of the U.S. strikes have resulted in civilian deaths, though two U.S. Navy SEALs went missing during a mission in the Red Sea and have since been declared dead. This is a developing story and will be updated as new information becomes available.