US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced the destruction of two anti-ship cruise missile (ASCM) launchers operated by Houthi forces in Yemen.

The operation, which occurred within the last 24 hours, targeted the missile launchers due to their “imminent threat to US and coalition forces and coalition forces and to merchant vessels transiting the region” amid the Iran-backed proxy’s Red Sea region blockade.

Global shipping has been targeted by the group, resulting from a claim of allegiance to Iran-backed Hamas in the midst of the Gaza war. Beginning as a campaign to target Israeli linked vessels it has since gone global with dozens of civilian seamen held captive.

The targeted missile launchers were located in a Houthi-controlled area. The Houthis, backed by Iran, have increasingly targeted international shipping in the Red Sea since November, following directives from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei to impede Israeli commerce.

The aggressive actions have precipitated a series of retaliatory strikes by US and British forces since February as the conflict expanded to affect broader international shipping interests.

The Houthis’ actions have severely disrupted global shipping, impacting at least half of the world's cargo flow through the critical Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Gulf of Aden. As a result, numerous shipping companies have been forced to reroute their cargo around southern Africa, significantly increasing global shipping times and costs.