“US forces identified the missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined that they presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the US Navy ships in the region,” CENTCOM said.The Houthis began striking Red Sea shipping in November, saying they were hitting Israeli-linked vessels in a show of force to support Palestinians in Gaza, which has been ravaged by the Hamas-Israel war.The Yemeni rebels have since declared US and British interests to be legitimate targets as well.In addition to military action, Washington is seeking to put diplomatic and financial pressure on the Houthis, redesignating them as a terrorist organization last week after previously having dropped that label soon after President Joe Biden took office.
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