CENTCOM conducts missile strikes against Houthis in Yemen

Shafaq News/ The US Central Command (CENTCOM) conducted missile strikes against Houthis (also known as Ansarallah) in Yemen to "make international waters safer and more secure."

On March 6, "At approximately 7:14 p.m. (Sanaa Time), United States Central Command conducted self-defense strikes against two unmanned aerial vehicles in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen that presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region," CENTCOM said.

In another statement, the US Command said that Houthis "kill innocent civilians with missile attack." marking the first deaths reported since the Iran-aligned group began attacks against vessels affiliated with Israel.

CENTCOM said that on March 6, "an anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) was launched from Iranian-backed Houthi terrorist-controlled areas of Yemen toward M/V True Confidence, a Barbados-flagged, Liberian-owned bulk carrier…the multinational crew reports three fatalities, at least four injuries, of which three are in critical condition, and significant damage to the ship."

Notably, this is the fifth ASBM fired by Houthis in the last two days. Two of these ASBMs impacted two shipping vessels, and the US forces shot down one.

The situation becomes more complicated in the Red Sea, with Houthis insisting on blocking the passage in front of all vessels heading to Israel or relating to it.

On Wednesday, the group also announced another attack.

The group's spokesperson, Yehya Sare'e, said in a televised statement that the naval forces of the Yemeni Armed Forces carried out a targeting operation against the American ship (TRUE CONFIDENCE) in the Gulf of Aden, "with a number of appropriate naval missiles. The strike was accurate, led to a fire breaking out on it."

Sare'e explained that the targeting operation came after the ship's crew "rejected warning messages" from the Yemeni naval forces.

The Houthis have been launching frequent drone and missile attacks on international commercial ships in the Gulf of Aden since mid-November. They claim solidarity with Palestinians facing Israel's actions in Gaza. These near-daily assaults have compelled companies to redirect their ships through longer and more expensive routes around Africa, sparking concerns about potential destabilization in the Middle East amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

In response to these attacks, the United States and Britain have targeted Houthi assets.

The impact of the Houthi decision reaches halfway to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a 20-kilometer-wide passage that serves as the gateway to the Red Sea. Approximately 15% of global shipping traffic transits through this strait to and from the Suez Canal.

Despite many Western accusations suggesting Iran influences Houthis to target vessels, both Tehran and the Yemeni group deny such claims. Iran asserts that Ansarallah makes independent decisions, akin to other movements in the "Axis of Resistance," which includes Lebanon's Hezbollah, Iraqi factions, and others.

All groups within the Axis have declared that their attacks will persist until a ceasefire is achieved in the Gaza Strip, where Israel's actions have resulted in the deaths of over 30,000 Palestinians, predominantly children and women.

The Israeli aggression has also displaced approximately 1.5 million people, leading to the destruction of infrastructure, hospitals, schools, and even UN facilities.

The United Nations reports that the Gaza Strip is currently experiencing famine conditions, exacerbated by Tel Aviv's rejection of humanitarian aid through Rafah.

Tragically, dozens of children, including newborns in Gaza have died of hunger so far.