U.S., Britain strike more Houthi targets

The weekend strikes took out weaponry that the Yemen-based rebel group could have used to continue attacking commercial vessels in the region, according to a statement by U.S. Central Command. U.S. and British forces hit 18 targets, including missiles, launchers, rockets, drones, and air defense systems.

What is behind the Houthi attacks? The Iran-backed rebels say they are retaliating against nations that support Israel in the war with Hamas in Gaza. The Houthis have launched at least 57 attacks on commercial and military ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since Nov. 19, with the frequency of the strikes increasing in recent days. “We’ve certainly seen in the past 48, 72 hours an increase in attacks from the Houthis,” Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said Thursday. 

Dig deeper: Listen to Mary Reichard and analyst Joe Truzman discussion on on The World and Everything in It podcast about Iranian support of terror groups.