US Preemptively Strikes Houthi Missile It Says Posed “Imminent Threat” To Aircraft

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – The United States Central Command announced Wednesday it carried out a preemptive strike against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels by destroying a missile the military said posed an “imminent threat” to US aircraft, the Times of Israel (TOI) reports.

The jihadist Houthi rebel group had announced it was joining the war against Israel that was triggered by Hamas’s genocidal attack on Israeli civilians on Oct. 7. The group has been firing missiles at Israeli-linked commercial vessels in the Red Sea, and has declared US and UK interests to be targets as well.

While the United States has conducted strikes against Houthi targets, both alone and with the United Kingdom, this has been to protect international shipping rather than US military aircraft, TOI noted.

“Jan. 31 at approximately 3:30 p.m. (Sanaa time), USCENTCOM forces struck and destroyed a Houthi surface-to-air missile prepared to launch. U.S. forces identified the missile in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined that it presented an imminent threat to U.S. aircraft,” the CENTCOM press release reads.

Although CENTCOM did not give details on where it carried out the strike or which aircraft were deemed at risk, Houthi-run Al-Masirah television stated earlier that US and UK aircraft had targeted the northern city of Saada. TOI reports.

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