USCENTCOM characterized the airstrike as an act of self-defense
U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) confirmed Saturday yet another airstrike on Houthi weaponry in the region of the Red Sea.
"As part of ongoing efforts to protect freedom of navigation and prevent attacks on maritime vessels, on Jan. 20 at approximately 4 a.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Central Command forces conducted airstrikes against a Houthi anti-ship missile that was aimed into the Gulf of Aden and was prepared to launch," USCENTCOM said in its statement on the strike.
US FORCES STRIKE 2 HOUTHI ANTI-SHIP MISSILES, TWO DEFENSE OFFICIALS SAY
Members of the Yemeni Coast Guard affiliated with the Houthi group patrol the sea as demonstrators march through the Red Sea port city of Hodeida in solidarity with the people of Gaza amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the militant Hamas group in Gaza. (AFP via Getty Images)
It continued, "U.S. forces determined the missile presented a threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region, and subsequently struck and destroyed the missile in self-defense."
This is the sixth round of strikes against the Houthis since the U.S. and U.K.-led coalition strikes last Thursday.
"This action will make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels," USCENTCOM concluded in their report.
This photo shows the headquarters of the US Central Command at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida. (MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images)
President Biden said Thursday that U.S. military strikes against the Iran-backed Yemeni group will continue as long as it continues to attack ships in the Red Sea.
"When you say working, are they stopping the Houthis, no. Are they going to continue, yes," Biden told reporters before departing from the White House for a domestic policy speech in North Carolina.
The State Department relisted the Houthis as a terrorist organization earlier this week in response to ongoing attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea.
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Houthi fighters and tribesmen stage a rally against the U.S. and the U.K. strikes on Houthi-run military sites near Sanaa, Yemen. (AP)
The Houthis will be placed on the Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) list, which will trigger sanctions designed to prevent further attacks on global trade in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, senior administration officials said.
The Houthi attacks on commercial ships have not stopped even after the U.S. and the United Kingdom launched strikes against Houthi assets in Yemen. The group said the attacks served as a response to Israel’s military campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Fox News Digital's Chris Pandolfo and Liz Friden contributed to this report.
Timothy Nerozzi is a writer for Fox News Digital. You can follow him on Twitter @timothynerozzi and can email him at
