The US military announced on the 4th that it had attacked a cruise missile that was being prepared for launch in an area controlled by the Houthi rebel group in Yemen. The Houthis have hinted at retaliating for the attack the U.S. military and British forces carried out on Houthi strongholds the day before, raising concerns that tensions will rise.
On the 4th, at around 4 a.m. local time, the U.S. Central Command announced that it attacked a cruise missile that was being prepared to be launched against a ship in the Red Sea in an area controlled by the Houthi group in Yemen.
Additionally, at around 5 a.m. local time, they attacked one cruise missile, and from around 10:30 a.m., they attacked and destroyed four cruise missiles.
U.S. Central Command considers Houthi attacks to be an imminent threat to merchant ships and U.S. Navy vessels in transit, and has determined that these attacks can be prevented by ensuring freedom of navigation and preventing civilian and U.S. Navy ships from being attacked. They explain that it is for safety purposes.
The previous day, US Central Command, along with British forces, had carried out a large-scale attack on Houthi strongholds.
In response, a Houthi spokesperson has indicated that they will carry out retaliatory attacks against American and British forces operating around the Red Sea, raising concerns that tensions will rise.