An American official told the American CBS network that the United States launched a fourth round of strikes on the Houthi militia early Thursday morning, in less than a week, amid continued targeting of ships passing through the Red Sea.

Media affiliated with the Houthi militia reported that an American-British bombing targeted a number of Yemeni provinces, including Al Hudaydah, Taiz, Dhamar, Al Bayda, and Saada.

The United States launched the first two rounds of strikes between January 11 and 12, targeting Houthi sites including a radar facility and missile sites.

The Associated Press agency reported that the US military launched a wave of missile attacks from ships and submarines against Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen.

The Houthi militia announced in a Wednesday statement the targeting of the ship "Genco Picardy" in the Gulf of Aden with missiles, pointing out that the targeting was part of support for the Gaza Strip.

The British Maritime Trade Operations authority also said earlier on Wednesday that it received a report of a drone attack on a ship 60 nautical miles southeast of Aden, Yemen, and that the ship’s captain reported control of a fire that broke out onboard as a result of the attack.

But the authority said the ship and its crew are safe, continued its journey to its destination, and advised ships to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.

Meanwhile, the British maritime security company "Ambrey" said that "a cargo tanker flying the Marshall Islands flag was hit by a drone 66 miles southeast of Aden, while heading east along the Gulf of Aden."

Regional spokesperson for the US State Department Samuel Warburg confirmed that the United States, in coordination with its allies, will use all available tools to pressure the Houthis to stop illegal and unjustified attacks against ships, global trade, navigation rights, and freedom of navigation.

Warburg said in an intervention on Sky News channel that Washington made every possible effort to avoid a military operation against the Houthis, resorting to the Security Council in New York, then issuing a statement from 44 countries, in addition to enhancing the Prosperity Guardian coalition, and finally a statement with a clear warning to the Houthi group, which did not heed any of them.

He explained that the US administration focuses on coordination and traditional relations and takes all measured measures without resorting to random steps, conducting diplomatic research, study, and discussion with allies and international organizations, and has an approach of exploring all possibilities and taking all measures in coordination with other countries.

He pointed out that the Houthi group launches attacks using Yemeni territory and places the Yemeni people last on its priorities, while Yemenis suffer from the harshest humanitarian situation, noting that the international community tries to provide humanitarian assistance but the Houthis oppose all those efforts, especially extending the truce.

In a related context, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, the Danish Foreign Minister, announced today that his country will join an alliance of six countries to confront the activities of Ansar Allah (“Houthis”) in the Red Sea.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov confirmed that the United States and Britain exceeded international law norms by launching strikes on Yemeni territory, indicating that this represents a breach of law and outside the framework of the United Nations resolution.

Lavrov said at a press conference on the results of Russian diplomacy activities in 2023 today: The United States and the British have violated every imaginable and simply studyable standard of international law, including the Security Council resolution that called only for the protection of commercial shipping and did not authorize bombing Yemen.