United States: The US military has launched fresh attacks on ten drones and a ground control centre in Yemen that are owned by the Houthi rebels, who are allied with Iran.
The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement that it had targeted 10 Houthi one-way UAVs and a “Houthi UAV ground control station” on Thursday because they “presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the US Navy ships in the region.”
“This action will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US Navy vessels and merchant vessels,” it added.
The group raised concerns about the rising tensions in the region and the increased disruption to global trade on Wednesday by declaring that all US and British warships involved in “aggression” against Yemen are targets.
Prior to this, CENTCOM reported that the USS Carney had destroyed three Iranian drones in less than an hour and intercepted an anti-ship ballistic missile fired by the Houthis. It wasn’t made clear if these drones were attack or surveillance models.
Hours after firing missiles at the US Navy destroyer Gravely, the Houthis claimed on Wednesday that their naval forces had struck a “American merchant ship” in the Gulf of Aden.
Although direct conflict between the US and Iran has been avoided, the US has recently launched strikes on the Houthis and other groups in the Middle East that are affiliated with Iran.
CENTCOM reported on Wednesday that, in contrast to previous airstrikes that were centred on the group’s potential to impact international shipping in the Red Sea, forces had destroyed a Houthi surface-to-air missile that posed a threat to “US aircraft.”
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