American forces aimed at 14 missiles in Yemen on Wednesday after reclassifying the Houthis as ‘terrorists’ for attacking merchant vessels. The Houthis refuse to cease their strikes.
American forces targeted 14 missiles that were ready to launch in Yemen, the US military said on Wednesday, after Washington re-designated the Iran-backed Houthis as a “terrorist” entity for their attacks on merchant vessels.
The Houthis, who have already faced multiple rounds of air strikes in response to their targeting of international shipping, struck a US-owned bulk cargo carrier in the wake of the designation announcement and vowed to continue the attacks, which they say are in support of Palestinians in Gaza.
“These missiles on launch rails presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region and could have been fired at any time, prompting US forces to exercise their inherent right and obligation to defend themselves,” Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement.
Hodeida and the city of Taez were among the targets of the first round of US and UK strikes in Yemen last week. Houthi media outlet Al-Masirah TV said both were hit again in the latest strikes, along with three other areas.
The United States announced earlier on Wednesday that it would return the Houthis to a list of “terrorist” entities.
“The Department of State today is announcing the designation of Ansarallah, commonly referred to as the Houthis, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist group, effective 30 days from today,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.
“During the 30-day implementation delay, the US government will conduct robust outreach to stakeholders, aid providers, and partners who are crucial to facilitating humanitarian assistance and the commercial import of critical commodities in Yemen,” he said.
US-owned ship targeted
US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the designation “is an important tool to impede terrorist funding to the Houthis, further restrict their access to financial markets, and hold them accountable for their actions.”
The Houthis, however, said they would not call off their strikes.
“We will not give up targeting Israeli ships or ships heading towards ports” in occupied Palestine… in support of the Palestinian people,” the group’s spokesman Mohammed Abdelsalam told Al Jazeera TV, adding that they would respond to new strikes on Yemen by the United States or Britain.
While the Houthis say they have been attacking Israeli-linked vessels, Washington says dozens of countries have connections to the ships that have been targeted in the vital waterway.
The Houthis have also declared American and British interests “legitimate targets,” and Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in televised remarks that they targeted a US vessel called the Genco Picardy in the Gulf of Aden.
CENTCOM confirmed the vessel had been targeted on Wednesday, saying a drone was launched from Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen and hit the US-owned and operated, Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier ship.
Katrine Dige Houmøller, with AFP
