U.S. forces launched self-defense strikes Saturday evening against six Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles prepared to launch against vessels in the Red Sea, officials said.
The cruise missiles were identified in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and were determined to present an imminent threat to U.S. Naval vessels and merchant ships in the region, U.S. Central Command said.
"This action will protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S. Navy and merchant vessels," Centcom said.
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The U.S. carried out another self-defense strike on Thursday, targeting multiple projectiles that Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen were preparing to launch. The U.S. has conducted more than 12 strikes against the Houthis since Jan. 11.
The terrorist fighters have upended the global shipping industry with frequent attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. The attacks are in retaliation for Israel's war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
On Friday, U.S. forces launched a series of strikes at various periods throughout the day against Houthi unmanned aerial vehicles.
The latest strikes come just days after three U.S. Army soldiers were killed in Jordan. The Biden administration has blamed the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group of Iran-backed militias that includes the militant group Kataib Hezbollah.
Earlier this month, two U.S. Navy SEALs, went missing during a mission in the Red Sea and have since been declared dead.
Previous U.S. strikes have not deterred the attacks against U.S. forces. Since the war between Israel and Hamas broke out in October, Iranian-backed militant groups have struck U.S. bases in Iraq and Syria at least 166 times with rockets, missiles, and one-way attack drones, drawing about a half-dozen U.S. counterstrikes on militant facilities in both countries.
Fox News Digital's Bradford Betz, contributed to this report.
