The U.S. military said Sunday its forces destroyed one unmanned aerial vehicle in a Houthi-held area of war-ravaged Yemen and another over a crucial shipping route in the Red Sea. It was the latest development in months of tension between the Iran-backed rebels and the U.S. The drones, which were destroyed Saturday morning, posed a threat to U.S. and coalition forces and merchant vessels in the region, said the U.S. Central Command. One done was destroyed over the Red Sea, while the second was destroyed on the ground as it was prepared to launch, it said. “These actions are necessary to protect our forces, ensure freedom of navigation, and make international waters safer and more secure for U.S., coalition, and merchant vessels,” CENTCOM said. There was no comment from the Houthi group.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused the Biden administration of having a “soft spot” for Iran amid the Houthi rebels attacking merchant vessels in the Red Sea. “The Biden administration has this soft spot for Iran,” Pompeo said Sunday in an interview with radio talk show host John Catsimatidis on WABC 770 AM’s “Cats Roundtable.” “Since the very beginning. It’s something that came from the Obama team.” Pompeo highlighted the current administration lifting the terrorist designation for Houthis in Yemen and further lamented that, in his view, it is not possible to negotiate with Tehran. The current administration removed the label in 2021 and weighed reimposing the Houthis in Yemen as a foreign terrorist organization in January, a response following months-long attacks on commercial ships in the Red Sea. The Houthis have been attacking and disrupting trade routes in the region in protest against Israel’s siege in the Gaza Strip.
US and British warplanes launched fresh airstrikes against Houthi sites in the coastal province of Al Hudaydah on Monday, the Yemeni group said. The strikes targeted the Taif area in al-Durayhimi district in the province, the Houthi-run Al-Masirah television reported. No reports were yet available about casualties or damage.
The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) Mine Action Advisor Charles Frisby and expert Javed Habibullah recently visited the headquarters of the “Masam” Landmine Clearance Project in Aden, where they met with Managing Director Osama Algosaibi.During the visit, discussions centered on the critical issue of land mines in Yemen and the “Masam” project’s achievements in addressing this issue. Algosaibihighlighted the grave impacts of land mines on Yemeni civilians and the extensive areas affected by these deadly devices. He added that the international community’s response to Yemen’s mine crisis is inadequate, emphasizing the need for more concerted efforts to support mine clearance and pressure the Houthi group. Thousands of landmines have been planted by Yemen's warring sides since 2015.
