CENTCOM says the strikes were launched early Tuesday

The US military said Tuesday that it launched more strikes against the Houthis in Yemen as tensions in the region continue to escalate.

US Central Command claimed that it hit Houthi anti-ship missiles. “At approximately 4:15 am (Sanaa time), US Forces struck and destroyed four Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles prepared to launch from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen,” CENTCOM said.

But later in the day, the Houthis were able to target a Greek-owned ship in the Red Sea despite the US strikes. CENTCOM said the M/V Zografia “reported they were struck but seaworthy and were continuing their Red Sea transit. No injuries were reported.”

The Houthis, officially known as Ansar Allah, took credit for the attack and said the Zografia was bound for Israel. Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea said Yemeni forces “targeted the ship Zogravia, which was headed to the ports of occupied Palestine, with several adequate missiles, leaving direct hits.”

The Houthis have made clear they will not stop attacks on Israeli-linked commercial shipping until the US-backed Israeli slaughter in Gaza ends. But the US has shown no interest in pressuring the Israelis to lift the siege, and escalations continue all over the region as a result.

The strikes on Tuesday marked the third time the US bombed Yemen since Friday, when the US was joined by the UK in striking dozens of Houthi sites. As a result, the Houthis are now targeting American and British commercial shipping, and more shipping companies are suspending transits through the Red Sea, including the British oil giant Shell.

US officials have acknowledged that the strikes on Yemen did not hamper the Houthis’ offensive capabilities. The Houthis endured a brutal US-backed Saudi-led bombing campaign and blockade from 2015-2022 and only became a more formidable fighting force during that time.

A fragile ceasefire between the Saudis and the Houthis has held relatively well since April 2022, and Riyadh is distancing itself from the current US anti-Houthi operations. The US-backed Saudi war on the Houthis killed 377,000 people from 2015-2022, according to the UN. More than half died of starvation and disease caused by the siege.

This article was originally featured at Antiwar.com and is republished with permission.