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The Pentagon has confirmed a pre-emptive strike by the US military Tuesday against four anti-ship ballistic missiles in Yemen, targeting the Houthi rebels.

According to US Central Command, these missiles, situated in Houthi-controlled areas, posed an imminent threat to commercial and US Navy ships in the region. The strike occurred at 4:15 am local time and is the latest in a series of actions against the Iran-backed Houthis, who have been aggressively targeting ships in the Red Sea.

This recent strike follows a Houthi attack on the M/V Gibraltar Eagle, a US-owned and operated container ship under the Marshall Islands flag. In addition, the Houthis claimed responsibility for an attack on the Malta-flagged bulk carrier Zografia in the Red Sea, occurring after the US military’s intervention.

The US has been actively responding to Houthi attacks, with the past week another round of US strikes. According to the United States, these strikes are in direct retaliation to the Houthis’ repeated attempts to disrupt global trade amid broader regional tensions, including Israeli strikes on Hamas in Gaza.

Despite the US efforts to diminish their capabilities, the Houthis have maintained their maritime assaults, with approximately 30 attempts to strike commercial vessels in the Red Sea since November 19.