US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Sunday that, in the past 24 hours, its forces conducted a self-defense engagement, destroying three Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) in the Red Sea.
“It was determined the USVs presented an imminent threat to US and coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region. These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure,” CENTCOM said in a statement posted to its account on X.
“This continued malign and reckless behavior by the Iranian-backed Houthis threatens regional stability and endangers the lives of mariners across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden,” it added.
The incident is the latest in a series of attacks on Houthi targets, which have come in response to an escalation by the Iranian-backed rebels.
The Houthis have been targeting commercial ships in the Red Sea region since November, in what they say are attacks in solidarity with Palestinian Arabs in Gaza.
Last week, a drone attack damaged a merchant ship in the Red Sea near Yemen, two maritime security agencies said, as the Houthi rebels announced naval attacks in the vital trade route.
A day earlier, the Houthis claimed that they attacked the US aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea, but two US officials disputed that claim.
In addition to claiming to have attacked the Eisenhower, the Houthis also said they attacked a commercial ship, Transworld Navigator, in the Arabian Sea.
In the wake of the uptick in Houthi attacks, the US formed a coalition, made up of more than 20 countries, aimed at safeguarding commercial traffic in the Red Sea from attacks by the Houthis.
In mid-January, with support from other countries, the US and Britain targeted just under 30 Houthi locations with 150 different weapons. They have since carried out several rounds of strikes against Houthi targets.
The Houthis have been unfazed by the strikes, saying that the campaign against the "Zionist enemy" will continue and that the attacks against the American and British ships will not stop.