"This morning, US forces conducted three successful self-defense strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen," Kirby said during a press briefing. "This is the fourth preemptive action that the US military has taken in the past week against Houthi missile launchers that were ready to launch attacks, in this case anti-ship missiles."
In December, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced the launch of a multinational operation to secure the Red Sea, saying that the United Kingdom, Bahrain, Canada, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, the Seychelles, and Spain would take part in the mission. The Houthis vowed to attack any ships that join the US-led maritime coalition.