Washington [US], January 19: The Pentagon declared that the US is not at war with the Houthi forces in Yemen, even after carrying out the fifth attack against this group in the past week.
During a press conference on January 18, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said US attacks on Houthi targets were purely defensive, according to Reuters.
"We are not at war with the Houthis. The Houthis are the ones who continue to launch cruise missiles, anti-ship missiles at innocent sailors. What we are doing, together with our partners, is self-defense," a Pentagon spokesman said.
The comments came after the US launched new attacks targeting Houthi anti-ship missiles on January 18, as tensions increased on regional sea routes, disrupting global trade and sparking protests. raised concerns about supply bottlenecks that could cause inflation.
The US military said it attacked two anti-ship missiles that were being prepared by Houthi forces to launch into the Red Sea . These missiles are considered an "imminent threat" to cargo ships and US Navy ships in the area. "US forces then attacked and destroyed the missiles in self-defense," the US military announced.
Previously, at the end of January 17 (Yemen local time), the US launched a series of missiles from warships and submarines from the Red Sea, destroying 14 Houthi missiles that were preparing to be launched.
US President Joe Biden said on January 18 that US military attacks against the Houthis would continue, but he admitted that US and British bombardment had not stopped attacks by forces in Yemen on ships in the Red Sea. "Are they [US strikes] stopping the Houthis? No. Are they continuing? Yes," President Biden said.
Despite moves and warnings from the US, the Houthis continue to attack ships in regional waters. In a statement early on January 19, forces in Yemen said they carried out a missile attack on a US ship named Chem Ranger in the Gulf of Aden, according to AFP.
British maritime security risk management company Ambrey said the Chem Ranger was a US chemical tanker, flying the flag of the Marshall Islands. There were no reports of casualties or damage to the ship, although the Houthis said it was hit by a missile.
Late on January 17, another US ship, the Genco Picardy, was attacked in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Navy came to the rescue.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper
