Houthis continue attacks in Red Sea even after series of U.S. military strikes

The Iranian-backed Houthis launched another attack on merchant shipping Tuesday just hours after the U.S. preemptively struck missiles in Yemen that were prepared to launch, according to a statement from U.S. Central Command. 

The statement on Tuesday said the U.S. had struck four anti-ship ballistic missiles that were an imminent threat to U.S. Navy ships and commercial vessels in the Red Sea. 

But in the afternoon, the Houthis hit another merchant ship in the Red Sea, a sign the group is not slowing down their attacks on shipping despite a series of retaliatory strikes by the U.S. The Houthis have said they will attack ships connected to Israel and its allies, but U.S. officials have said many of the ships attacked have no connection to Israel. 

Last week, the U.S. and U.K. with support from other nations struck just under 30 locations targeting “radar systems, air defense systems, and storage and launch sites for one way attack unmanned aerial systems, cruise missiles, and ballistic missiles,” according to a statement from U.S. Central Command. 

The U.S. followed up with another strike early Saturday in Yemen targeting a Houthi radar site. 

On Monday, U.S. Central Command said the Houthis had struck a U.S. owned merchant vessel with an anti-ship ballistic missile. There were no injuries reported. 

The Biden administration has emphasized it does not want Israel’s war with Hamas to turn into a wider regional conflict. However, the Houthi attacks on commercial shipping combined with the ongoing attacks by Iranian-backed militias on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria show the instability in the Middle East already extends farther than Israel.