US military commanders said on Friday that they conducted a strike against a Houthi surface-to-air missile that was preparing to launch from Yemen.
On Friday afternoon, US "forces conducted a self-defense strike against one Iranian-backed Houthi surface-to-air missile that was prepared to launch," CENTCOM said in a statement, adding it had "determined (the missile) presented an imminent threat to US aircraft in the region."
It went on to say that the Houthis on Friday night launched an anti-ship missile into the Red Sea, but "There was no impact or damage to any vessels."
The Iran-backed Houthis have been attacking shipping in the Red Sea since November in a campaign they say is in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza amid the Israel-Hamas war.
The United States is spearheading a naval coalition to protect vessels in the vital waterway, and is conducting air strikes in Houthi territory, both on its own and alongside Britain.
