U.S. military strikes Houthi missile sites, submarine

U.S. Central Command on Sunday said it carried out strikes against several targets including cruise missile sites, an unmanned surface vessel, and an unmanned submarine the previous day. It said the attacks took place afternoon and evening on Saturday in parts of Yemen controlled by Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Central Command labeled the attacks “self-defense” strikes, saying it had determined the targets presented a clear threat to U.S. Navy ships and commercial vessels in the region.

What will the effects of these strikes be? Yemen’s Houthi rebels have continued their attacks on commercial shipping in the region that began in October of last year, after the start of Israel’s war in Gaza. Houthi rebels on Sunday attacked a Belize-flagged commercial vessel in the Bab al-Mandeb Strait connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, according to U.S. Central Command. On Monday, Houthi rebel spokesman Yahya Sare'e said the damage on the British-owned ship—was “catastrophic” and that the vessel had to come to a complete halt. The Houthis also claimed to have shot down a U.S. MQ9 Reaper drone near the city of Hodeidah.

What has the United States been doing in response to these attacks? The Congressional Research Service earlier this month issued a report on the Houthi’s maritime attacks, and U.S. responses. The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency this month also issued a report on Iran’s yearslong and continued support for the Houthi rebels. Over the last week, the State Department has followed through on plans to re-designate the Houthis a global terrorist organization.

Dig deeper: Read A.S. Ibrahim’s column in WORLD Opinions answering the question, “Who are the Houthis?”