Yemen Monitor/Sanaa:
The US launched more strikes on a series of missiles belonging to the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group in Yemen on Saturday, according to US Central Command (CENTCOM) statement.
The US said the weapons were “prepared to launch at ships in the Red Sea” and “presented an imminent threat to U.S. Navy ships and merchant vessels in the region.”
The US has been trying to degrade the Iran-backed militant group’s ability to threaten shipping in the region.
The Houthi rebels say their strikes on ships in the Red Sea are in response to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza. There are fears that the attacks could help escalate Israel’s war against Hamas into a wider regional conflict.
Seeking to avoid a regional war with Tehran, the US has not targeted Iran directly, instead going after some of its most powerful proxies in the region.
Iran funds, arms and supplies these groups to different degrees, but its leadership does not control them directly. (CNN)
