Fourth round of ‘preemptive’ US strikes against Iran-backed Houthis

The US military conducted another set of strikes against Yemen’s Houthis on Friday, the White House said.

Friday’s “self-defense” strikes were the fourth preemptive action taken by the American military in the last week, National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby said.

Speaking to reporters at the White House, Kirby said that the US military conducted three successful strikes on Houthi targets against missile launchers being prepared to conduct attacks.

Kirby went on to say that the operation helped “make safer international waters for both naval vessels and merchant shipping.”

The latest attack comes after a string of Houthi operations targeting US and international commercial ships as well as American warships in the region over what it says is in response to the Gaza war. Washington on Wednesday reneged on a previous decision to revoke the Houthi’s terror designation, which was one of the first foreign policy moves made by the Biden administration after taking office.

The Houthis vowed to press ahead with their attacks and said the move to add them back on the Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) list would not impact them.

Last week, the US carried out its first airstrikes against the Houthis inside of Yemen after repeated warnings for the group to stop attacking vessels transiting through the Red Sea. The Houthis have claimed that all their targets were ships intended for Israel.