US strike & destroy six Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles in Yemen that posed ‘imminent threat’ to vessels in Red Sea

THE US hit and destroyed six Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles in Yemen last night.

The targets posed an "imminent threat" to American ships in the Red Sea, according to the US Central Command (CENTCOM).

The US forces conducted the "self defence" strikes at around 7.20pm Sanaa time on Saturday.

CENTCOM said: "This action will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for US Navy and merchant vessels."

US forces have previously destroyed anti-ship missiles back in January, from the rebels for the same reasons.

It came just hours before Britain joined the US to strike Yemen's Houthis in another revenge strike in the Middle East in just 24 hours.

The Pentagon confirmed 36 Iran-linked targets were struck in Yemen on Saturday night.

The Houthi targets were said to be in 13 different locations, American officials said.

Meanwhile on January 11, western forces obliterated 60 military targets in total under the cover of darkness, weakening the Iran-backed terror proxy in Yemen.

Laser-guided Tomahawk missiles and Paveway bombs, 1,200mph fighter jets, Reaper drones and destroyers were used alongside the RAF planes.

The attack saw the aircraft make their way from Cyprus to Yemen and back in hours, refuelling mid-air as they blitzed the targets.

A second UK-US attack then took place near the capital city Sanaa.

The rising tensions in the Red Sea have led the UK to beef up its defences by upgrading its Sea Viper surface-to-air missile system.

The US Navy is currently facing the biggest conflict it has seen at sea in the Middle East in decades.

The militant group has been attacking cargo ships in the Red Sea in retaliation for Israel's continued bombardment of Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea insisted the Houthis would "not hesitate" to retaliate against "British-American escalation".

He said: "All American and British ships in the Red and Arabian Seas are legitimate targets for the Yemeni Armed Forces as long as the American-British aggression against our country continues.";

A British oil tanker was also left in flames after it was struck by a Houthi rebel missile off the coast of Yemen.

Iran-backed Houthi fighters claimed responsibility for the chilling revenge attack on the Marlin Luanda ship, which burst into flames, in the Gulf of Aden.

It follows further strikes from the US against targets in Syria and Iraq on Friday night.

Officials said American missile strikes hit more than 85 targets, including “command and control headquarters” and ammo dumps.

Iraq said 16 people, including civilians, were killed and 25 wounded in the strikes.

The US hit back after three of its troops were killed by a drone strike in Jordan last week.

US President Joe Biden said: “Let all those who might seek to do us harm know this: If you harm an American, we will respond.”

US Central Command said the strikes used more than 125 munitions, delivered by numerous aircraft, including long-range bombers.

Britain expressed support for the strikes and said the US had a "right to respond" to the attacks on American troops.