Click to see full-size image. (The U.S. Central Command)
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on February 24 that its forces destroyed seven anti-ship cruise missiles of the Houthis (Ansar Allah) in Yemen a day earlier in what it called “self-defense”.
The missiles were prepared to launch towards the Red Sea, the command said in a statement, adding that they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and to the U.S. Navy ships in the region.
“These actions will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels,” the statement reads.
Yemen’s Al-Masirah TV, which is run by the Houthis, said that three “American-British” strikes targeted the Ras Issa area in the western province of al-Hodeidah on February 23. However, the news channel didn’t report any casualties.
Separately, Hussein al-Ezzy, the Houthi-appointed deputy foreign minister, said on the X social platform, previously known as Twitter, that the group is considering “a total closure of the Bab al-Mandab Strait in the next days” to pressure Israel to end its was on the Gaza Strip. The war has so far claimed the lives of more than 29,000 Palestinians.
The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, have targeted dozens of Israel-affiliated vessels and others owned by the U.S. and the United Kingdom in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since November 19 in response to the ongoing Israeli war and siege on Gaza.
The U.S. and the UK retaliated to the Houthis repeated attacks in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden by carrying out dozens of strikes on areas controlled by the group in Yemen. However, the group remains unfettered.
