US fighter jets struck Houthi sites in Yemen for the sixth time Friday, taking out anti-ship missile launchers that were prepared to fire, the US military said on X,
Asharq Al-Awsat reports.
"US forces identified the missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined that they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the US Navy ships in the region. US forces subsequently struck and destroyed the missiles in self-defense," the US Central Command said in the post on X.
A US official said the strikes were carried out by F/A-18 aircraft off the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing military operations.
The strikes come as President Joe Biden acknowledged Thursday that the bombardment of Houthi sites, including last Friday’s massive array of strikes by US and British forces, has yet to stop the Iranian-backed militias’ attacks on vessels in the Red Sea that have disrupted global shipping.
The Houthis say their attacks are aimed at stopping Israel’s war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Since last week, the United States has been launching strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen, and this week returned the militia to a list of "terrorist" groups.
