U.S. conducts self-defense strikes against Houthis

U.S. Central Command on Monday reported that it had struck weapons at several sites in Houthi-controlled Yemen, including two missiles and three “unmanned surface vessels.” The statement said the drone was over the Red Sea, and that the Houthi missiles were set up to launch toward the same area. The United States said it conducted the strikes to protect “freedom of navigation” in the waters around Yemen.

On what basis is the president authorizing American forces to strike? President Joe Biden on Monday wrote in a letter to the Speaker of the House that U.S., British, Canadian, and other allied countries’ forces had conducted strikes on Feb. 24 against Houthi forces in Yemen. Biden said that he ordered the strikes against the Houthis in an attempt to protect “navigational rights and freedoms” in the waters around Yemen.

Why do the Houthis remain a threat? Yemen’s Houthi rebels have continued to attack ships in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The Defense Intelligence Agency this month reported details on how the Houthis have received missiles and drones from Iran for years. The agency has said that support has allowed the Houthi rebels to conduct attacks on shipping since Israel began its war against Hamas in Gaza on Oct. 7 of last year.