Allegedly, Washington prevented an "imminent" attack on an American aircraft, as the rebels attacked another "American ship".
The U.S. and Yemeni Houthi rebels have declared each other in the ongoing fighting on the Red Sea shipping lanes that their strikes have been successful.
The recent salvo included a US airstrike on a Houthi missile in Yemen, which was allegedly ready for launch. The Houthis later claimed to have carried out an "accurate and direct" missile attack on a cargo ship in the Red Sea.
The surface-to-air missile was hit and destroyed in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen on Wednesday afternoon, the U.S. command said. The U.S. command said the U.S. team targeted the Houthi launch site after determining that the missiles "pose an imminent threat to U.S. aircraft." The command did not specify the location of the missiles. The Houthis reportedly confirmed the U.S. attack and said it took place in the northern Yemeni city of Saada.
Houthi spokesman Yahya Sari said "several suitable naval missiles" to attack the "KOI" merchant ship. He confirmed that the ship was "American" and said that the ship was on its way to Israel. The Liberian-flagged container ship is registered in London, and the company is reportedly linked to a division of the US banking giant JPMorgan Chase.
The merchant ship was targeted hours after the Houthis fired missiles at the USS Graveley destroyer in the Red Sea, Sare said. ** The command previously said the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Graveley shot down a cruise missile over the Red Sea on Tuesday night.
The latest attack comes amid escalating clashes between U.S. forces in the Middle East and multiple armed groups in the region. Since the start of the Israeli-Hamas war in October, the Houthis and other militias have reportedly launched hundreds of attacks on U.S. assets and shipping interests.
Sarri said the Houthis "will respond to the escalation of the conflict between the United States and the United Kingdom in an escalating manner and will not hesitate to take full and effective military action in retaliation for any stupidity of the United Kingdom and the United States against their beloved Yemen." All American and British ships in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea are "legitimate targets", and the Houthis will continue to stand in solidarity with the "oppressed Palestinian people."
White House committee spokesman John Kirby told reporters on Wednesday that "Iranian-backed" Iraqi Islamic Resistance groups were responsible for Sunday's drone attack, which killed three U.S. troops and wounded more than 40. He said the U.S. was preparing a multifaceted response, but he reiterated Joe Biden***'s claim that he sought to avoid a broader war with Iran.