U.S. forces conducted 15 airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday, following recent Houthi threats and attacks in the Red Sea. “These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels,” U.S. Central Command, which oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East, announced on Friday. The strikes were reported earlier by Al Masirah TV, the main television news outlet run by the Houthi terrorist group, which controls significant parts of Yemen. According to Al Masirah TV, the strikes were in response to a “massive rally” held in support of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah in Lebanon. Nasrallah was assassinated by an Israeli airstrike last week—a move that led to Iran retaliating by firing a barrage of missiles directly at Israel earlier this week.
Iran’s direct assault on Israel has led to increased tensions in the region and an escalation of military operations in Lebanon by Israel