US Launches Strikes, Saying Houthis Were About to Attack

For the fourth time in less than a week, the US has attacked Houthi targets in Yemen. US officials said the airstrikes on Wednesday successfully targeted several sites that were about to launch missiles, the Washington Post reports. US Central Command said that the rebel group had struck an American-owned commercial vessel earlier in the day with an anti-ship ballistic missile, causing damage but no injuries. The US strikes were launched from ships and submarines in the Red Sea against more than a dozen sites, per the AP. They're in retaliation for attacks on commercial shipping by the Houthis, who say they're acting to protest Israel's offensive in Gaza.

"They are exploiting this situation to conduct attacks against the ships and vessels from more than 50 countries," Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, Pentagon spokesman, said Wednesday. "And so we're going to continue to work with our partners in the region to prevent those attacks or deter those attacks in the future," he added. Last week, US and British forces attacked more than 60 Houthi targets, including air defenses, command hubs, anti-ship cruise and ballistic missiles launch facilities. (The Houthis have been restored to the US terror list.)