British fighter jet prepares to carry out attacks against Houthi positions in Yemen (Getty Images)

US forces announced the bombing of Houthi positions in Yemen on Tuesday morning Sanaa time, while European diplomats said the European Union agreed in principle to form a military mission to deter the Houthis in the Red Sea.

A U.S. official told Al Jazeera that the U.S. strike targeted four Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles that were intended for launch.

He added that the US strike came after the Houthis on Monday targeted the US container tanker "Giberltar Eagle".

US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said his country is working to counter the Houthi aggression in the Red Sea.

Sullivan said Tuesday at the Davos Economic Forum in Switzerland that the United States seeks to de-escalate and stop the expansion of the conflict in the Middle East, despite its strikes on the Houthis in Yemen.

European moves

European diplomats said on Tuesday that EU member states had given initial support for the idea of a naval mission to protect ships from Houthi attacks in the Red Sea.

The diplomats added that the aim is to establish the mission no later than February 19, and to start work quickly.

Several diplomats said they hoped to speed up the process in light of tensions in the region.

Many shipping companies have diverted their ships away from the Red Sea in the wake of attacks by the Houthi Ansar Allah group, which they say target Israeli or Israeli-bound ships in solidarity with the Gaza Strip.

The United States said last month it and other countries would patrol the Red Sea in a new mission dubbed "Guardian of Prosperity" to allay fears that disruptions in one of the world's most important commercial arteries could affect the global economy.

But some U.S. allies, especially European countries, have expressed reservations about the plan and objected to the idea of it being under Washington's leadership.

New Attack

On the other hand, Houthi military spokesman Brigadier General Yahya Saree announced the targeting of the Zografia, which was heading to Israeli ports.

Saree said in a video statement: "We will continue to take all measures to reaffirm our solidarity with the Palestinian people."

Earlier on Tuesday, a Yemeni shipping source said Houthi Ansar Allah forces had targeted a new ship in the Red Sea.

Reuters quoted the British Maritime Trade Authority as saying that it had received a report on an incident 100 nautical miles northwest of Saleef near the Yemeni city of Hodeidah, while the British Telegraph newspaper quoted a source today as saying that the ship targeted by the Houthis "Greek was sailing from Vietnam to Israel," noting that it was free of goods.

Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul Salam accused the United States of exerting pressure on shipping companies, which resulted in the suspension of their activities in the Red Sea, saying – in a post on the X platform – that "what a number of shipping companies announce to suspend their work under the pretext of high risks in the Red Sea, is the result of American pressure and intimidation."

This coincides with the announcement of the Japanese shipping company "NYK" that it is temporarily suspending navigation across the Red Sea from Tuesday, and that it has directed its nearby ships there to wait in safe waters and study the possibility of changing their route.

British hydrocarbon company Shell also announced the indefinite suspension of all shipments across the Red Sea in anticipation of Houthi attacks, according to the Wall Street Journal citing informed sources.

On the other hand, the US Central Command "CENTCOM" announced today that it seized advanced Iranian conventional weapons, which it said were "destined for the Houthis," noting that investigations revealed that the Houthis used weapons such as those seized to threaten navigation in the Red Sea, and that "Iran continues to ship lethal aid to the group."

Source : Al Jazeera