U.S. Forces Conduct Precision Strikes on Houthi Targets in Yemen
Under the command of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), U.S. naval and air forces, tasked with ensuring regional stability and security in the Middle East, conducted a series of precision strikes against Iranian-backed Houthi targets in Yemen on December 30 and 31. The operation followed a series of retaliatory strikes by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in response to missile and drone attacks launched by Yemeni rebels against Israeli territory.
In a statement released by CENTCOM, it was announced that the operation targeted command and control facilities and advanced conventional weapons (ACW) production and storage areas of Houthi forces in Yemen’s capital, Sana’a, and the coastal strip of the country. These facilities were reportedly used in Houthi operations, including attacks on U.S. Navy warships and merchant vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
The statement also noted that U.S. Central Command forces destroyed a Houthi coastal radar system, seven cruise missiles over the Red Sea, and a one-way attack unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) during the operation.
During these two days, the Houthis targeted U.S. military assets in the region, including the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, with multiple drones and cruise missiles. However, according to CENTCOM, no U.S. personnel or equipment were harmed during the operation. In contrast, a previous U.S. Central Command operation on December 22 resulted in the downing of an F/A-18F Super Hornet by friendly fire from a U.S. Navy Ticonderoga-class cruiser.
Following the U.S. strikes, Houthi rebel spokesperson Mohammed Abdul Salam stated that “Yemen will continue to defend itself” and added, “the US aggression on Yemen is a blatant violation of the sovereignty of an independent state and blatant support for Israel to encourage it to continue its crimes of genocide against the people of Gaza.”
In response to Israel’s attacks in Gaza, the Houthis have either seized or attacked many commercial ships off the coast of Yemen, claiming they are owned by Israeli companies, with drones and missiles since October 31, 2023. While the Houthis’ continued reckless behavior endangers regional stability and the lives of sailors in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, the United States reiterates that it will respond harshly to these actions, along with its partners, at every opportunity.