Washington, DC [US], August 7 : US Central Command said on Tuesday that it has successfully destroyed one Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicle and two Iranian-backed Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen over the Red Sea.
In the statement, US Central Command said that these weapons posed a "clear and imminent threat" to the US and coalition forces and merchant vessels in the region.
In the statement posted on X, US Central Command stated, "In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command forces successfully destroyed one Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicle and two Iranian-backed Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen over the Red Sea."
"These weapons presented a clear and imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces, and
merchant vessels in the region. This reckless and dangerous behavior by Iranian-backed Houthis continues to threaten regional stability and security," it added.
Earlier on August 3, the United States military said that it successfully destroyed one Iranian-backed Houthi land attack cruise missile (LACM) in Houthi-controlled territory in Yemen.
In a statement, the US Central Command stated, "In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed an Iranian-backed Houthi missile and launcher in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen."
It further stated, "It was determined the LACM presented an imminent threat to US and coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region. These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure."
The development comes amidst heightened alert in the West Asia region following the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on July 31 in Tehran while he was on an official visit to Iran and the killing of Hezbollah's top military leader Faud Shukr in an airstrike in Lebanon's capital Beirut on July 30.
The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels have launched dozens of missile and drone attacks targeting ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden since Israel launched a counter-offensive against Hamas in Gaza after the October 7 attack.
According to the US Maritime Administration, Houthis have launched over 50 attacks on shipping, resulting in casualties, vessel seizures, and disruptions to global trade routes. The campaign has forced shipping firms to seek alternative routes, impacting approximately 12 per cent of global trade that traverses the Red Sea.
On August 2, US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered additional fighter jets and Navy ships to West Asia. The US is also taking steps to increase its readiness to deploy more land-based ballistic missile defences, the Pentagon said.
US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin "has ordered additional ballistic missile defence-capable cruisers and destroyers to the US European Command and US Central Command regions," a statement from the US Department of Defence (DOD) read.
To maintain a carrier strike group presence in West Asia, Austin has ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group to replace the USS Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group, currently on deployment in the Central Command area of responsibility.
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