In the Red Sea, the US kills three Houthi anti-ship missiles

Washington: Three anti-ship missiles in the Red Sea were destroyed by the United States during a new round of attacks on the Houthi rebels in Yemen.
This was the US military’s fourth preemptive strike in the midst of escalating hostilities in the Red Sea, the White House said in a statement.

“US troops successfully carried out three self-defense attacks on Houthi targets in Yemen this morning.
The US military has now carried out four preemptive strikes in the past, according to a statement released by the White House on Friday.
The assault was launched at around 6:45 p.m. (Sanaa time), according to the US Central Command, because the anti-ship missiles “presented an imminent threat” to nearby commercial boats and US Navy ships.
“US Navy ships are in the Red Sea as part of continuous operations to safeguard freedom of navigation and stop assaults on marine vessels. US Central Command troops launched attacks on three Houthi anti-ship missiles that were pointed toward the Southern Red Sea and ready to fire on January 19 at around 6:45 p.m. (Sanaa time), the US Central Command said on X.
“After locating the missiles in Yemeni territory under Houthi control, US forces concluded that they posed an immediate threat to nearby merchant ships as well as US Navy vessels.” In self-defense, US troops hit and destroyed the missiles after that. For US Navy and commerce boats, this move will keep international seas safe and secure,” it said.
Houthis earlier on Thursday fired two anti-ship ballistic missiles toward the US ship Chem Ranger; nevertheless, US Central Command claimed that there were no casualties or damages.
14 Houthi missiles “that were loaded to be fired in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen” had been targeted by US troops on Thursday.
On January 17, at about 11:59 p.m. (Sanaa time), the US declared the strike to be part of its continuing multi-national operations to safeguard freedom of passage and thwart attacks on US and ally maritime activity in the Red Sea.
Notably, in reaction to the Yemeni group’s ongoing assaults and threats to shipping, the US labeled it as a “terrorist” organization and placed sanctions on it. The designation is not effective for a period of thirty days.
According to the Houthis, the designation has no bearing on its efforts to stop Israeli ships or ships traveling in the direction of Israel from passing through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, the Arabian Sea, and the Red Sea.
The Houthis, who back Hamas, the armed Palestinian organization, started their assaults in reaction to Israel’s invasion of Gaza. According to Al Jazeera, their attacks have scared key international powers and hampered commerce between Asia and Europe.