The US military carried out more strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen on Wednesday, the US Central Command said.
The military said that it “conducted strikes on 14 Iran-backed Houthi missiles that were loaded to be fired in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen”.
It added: “These missiles on launch rails presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and US Navy ships in the region and could have been fired at any time prompting US forces to exercise their inherent right and obligation to defend themselves.”
The US has officially designated Yemen’s Houthi rebels as a terrorist group.
A US official said a new designation to classify Yemen’s Houthi rebels as specially designated global terrorists is aimed at cutting off the group’s funding and weapons.
The official said that Houthi attacks on US military forces and international maritime vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are the “textbook definition of terrorism”.
The designation will be reconsidered if the Houthis cease their Red Sea attacks.
The group were first listed as a terrorist group under Donald Trump and delisted in 2021 by Anthony Blinken.
A spokesperson for the Houthis said: “US designation will not affect our position, attacks on ships heading to Israel will continue.”