The U.S. Navy guided-missile submarine USS Georgia struck about 15 Houthi targets in militant-held areas of Yemen on Friday, a U.S. official told VOA.
The strikes, which started at 5 p.m. local time in Sanaa, targeted “offensive military capabilities” including a military base and weapons used by the Iran-backed militant group, according to three U.S. defense officials.
“These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure,” one of the defense officials said. All spoke to VOA on the condition of anonymity to discuss strikes that were still being evaluated.
Houthi media reported that strikes had hit the airport in the major port city of Hodeida, the Katheib area, which is home to a Houthi-controlled military base, the capital Sanaa and the Dhamar province.
The Pentagon announced on September 10 that USS Georgia had entered the Middle East region. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the submarine to the region in August as tensions flared between Israel and Iranian proxies. The submarine can carry about 150 Tomahawk cruise missiles.
The strikes come about two weeks after a U.S. MQ-9 drone was struck but safely recovered while operating over Yemen.
The Houthis have downed U.S. drones several times since 2014, when the Iranian-backed group seized Yemen's capital. The attacks on U.S. drones, along with attacks on commercial and military vessels transiting the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, have drastically increased since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
The Houthis' continuous assault campaign has disrupted commercial shipping in the important corridor, prompting many shipping companies to reroute ships.
The militants have targeted more than 80 merchant vessels with missiles and drones since the war in Gaza started in October 2023, seizing one, sinking two and killing at least four sailors. Other missiles and drones have either been intercepted by a U.S.-led coalition in the Red Sea or failed to reach their targets.
The Houthi militant campaign began after Israel launched a retaliatory attack against Hamas in Gaza following Hamas' October 7 terror attack. The Houthis claim say are acting in solidarity with Palestinians during the war.
