WASHINGTON/CAIRO: US Central Command forces on Saturday (Jan 20) struck a Houthi anti-ship missile that was aimed into the Gulf of Aden and prepared to launch, the US military said, with the latest round of strikes coming hours after the United States struck three other Houthi anti-ship missiles.
“US forces determined the missile presented a threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region, and subsequently struck and destroyed the missile in self-defense,” the US Central Command said in a statement on X.
The incident, the latest amid growing tensions in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden that have disrupted global trade and raised fears of supply bottlenecks, took place around 0400 Yemen time (9am, Singapore time), the US Central Command added.
Hours earlier on late Friday, US Central Command forces conducted strikes against three Houthi anti-ship missiles that they said were aimed into the Southern Red Sea.
Attacks by the Iran-aligned Houthi militia on ships in and around the Red Sea for the past several weeks have slowed trade between Asia and Europe and alarmed major powers in an escalation of the war in Gaza.
The Houthis, who control most of Yemen, say their attacks are in solidarity with Palestinians under attack from Israel in Gaza.