The United States conducted a new military operation against Houthi forces in Yemen on a Friday, as confirmed by United States military officials. The move followed a large-scale mission undertaken in coordination with partners from the United Kingdom, marking a continued push to deter attacks on commercial shipping lanes in the Red Sea and to degrade the rebels’ ability to threaten regional trade routes.
The Friday night actions were described as more limited in scope than the prior day, targeting a radar facility used by Houthi forces. U.S. Central Command disclosed that the operation began at 3:45 a.m. Sana time (00:45 GMT) on January 13, launched from the US Navy destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64). Tomahawk land-attack missiles were employed as part of the strike sequence, reflecting a precise, targeted approach intended to minimize civilian impact while eliminating specific military capabilities.
CENTCOM characterized the operation as a follow-up against a distinct military target, building on the day-before actions aimed at reducing the Houthis’ capacity to threaten ships and disrupt maritime commerce in the area. The broader objective remains to support international navigation freedoms and protect commercial shipping lanes that are vital to global trade flows in the Red Sea corridor.
Reports from the Houthis indicated that at least one ballistic missile was fired at a commercial vessel in the same period, alongside a series of attacks on military positions across multiple Yemeni provinces. The rebel claims cited casualties among their ranks as a result of the ongoing strikes, highlighting the high stakes and the localized nature of the engagement in this maritime theater.
Officials emphasized that the Friday operations were conducted independently of any unilateral actions, and they did not specify whether additional support from other nations was involved as in the previous day’s operations. They also noted that the current actions are not connected to the multinational coalition operation named Welfare Guardian, which was launched late last December and involves more than twenty countries. The distinction underscores a layered approach to regional security, distinguishing immediate countermeasures from longer-term, coalition-led efforts.
Two concurrent strands appear to be part of a broader pattern: a robust increase in actions aimed at curbing attacks on merchant shipping in the Red Sea, and a stated commitment to support Palestinians amid ongoing regional tensions. Though the Houthis frame these moves as part of a larger campaign, officials describe them as discrete measures designed to uphold international law and safety at sea while mitigating broader regional conflict spillovers.
Lieutenant Douglas Sims, Director of Operations for the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, provided details at a Friday press briefing about the strike campaign. He indicated that the operations targeted 28 sites supported by a coalition of 10 countries in the prior day’s action, and expressed a high degree of confidence in the campaign’s effectiveness. He stated that the primary aim was to counter capabilities that hinder freedom of navigation and the safe passage of ships through international waters around Yemen and the Horn of Africa region.
White House spokesperson John Kirby reiterated that the United States does not seek a broader war with Iran-backed Houthis. He explained that the administration’s focus is on reducing regional tensions and stopping attacks that threaten safe navigation and global commerce. The commitment to de-escalation was echoed in statements from President Joe Biden, who has signaled readiness to take further measures if necessary to protect people and the free flow of international trade.
This morning, the White House released a communication to Congress addressing the airstrikes in Yemen, detailing the prior day’s actions in response to criticism about informing lawmakers in advance. In his remarks, the president underscored a readiness to act again if required to safeguard national security interests and maintain international trading routes critical to the global economy.