U.S., U.K. conduct fourth round of joint airstrikes on Houthi targets in Yemen

The U.S. and U.K together launched airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen Saturday, two U.S. officials confirmed to CBS News. This is the fourth round of joint coalition strikes since Jan. 11 to pressure the Houthis to stop attacking commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea. 

In the past few weeks, the U.S. has also taken more than 30 self-defense strikes against Houthi weapons that were “prepared to launch” to conduct attacks on commercial or U.S. Navy ships, according to U.S. Central Command. 

Despite the barrage of strikes, the Houthis have continued to launch missiles and drones at ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. As of this week, U.S. defense officials said there had been at least 60 Houthi attacks since November 19. 

“We never said that we were taking every single capability that the Houthis have off the map, but every single day that we conduct a strike, we are degrading them further,” Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said on Tuesday. 

“And so I think the [Defense] Secretary has confidence that the more we continue to do this, the Houthis are going to – they are already seeing the effects,” Singh said. 

The Houthis have linked their attacks to the war between Israel and Hamas, pledging to keep targeting ships aiding Israel’s war, but U.S. officials say that many of the ships the Houthis have targeted have no connection to Israel or the conflict in Gaza.