The U.S. military announced the successful engagement and destruction of a drone boat in an area under the control of the Houthi group in Yemen.
According to a statement from the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), released by Alhurra television on Wednesday, the drone boat posed an imminent threat to the United States, allied forces, and commercial vessels operating in the region.
CENTCOM highlighted that the action was part of ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of international waters and maintain freedom of navigation.
The move comes as a response to ongoing threats in the strategic maritime corridors of the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the Gulf of Aden.
The Houthi group, which is aligned with Iran, has been launching repeated drone and missile attacks in these areas since last November, prompting shipping companies to reroute their cargo through longer and more costly paths around South Africa.
This decisive action by the U.S. forces underscores the continued commitment to securing international shipping lanes against the backdrop of escalating maritime threats posed by Houthi forces in the region.