US intercepts drone of Yemen’s Houthi rebels ‘backed by Iran’ in Red Sea waters

September 21 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported on Friday the “successful” destruction in the waters of the Red Sea of ​​a Houthi drone from Yemen coming from an area of ​​the country under the control of the rebel group.

“Over the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed an Iranian-backed Houthi unmanned aerial vehicle launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen over the Red Sea,” the U.S. military said in a post on social media.

US troops have identified the presence of this system as an “imminent threat” to both US and coalition forces and to merchant ships in the region.

“This action was taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer,” CENTCOM concluded.

The Houthis, who have controlled the Yemeni capital Sanaa and other areas in the north and west of the country since 2015, have launched several attacks against Israeli territory and against ships with some kind of Israeli connection following the offensive unleashed against Gaza after the attacks carried out on October 7 by the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).

They have also attacked US and British ships and other strategic assets in response to the bombings of Yemen by these countries, an intervention that Washington and London have based on their desire to guarantee the safety of navigation in the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean.