The U.S. Central Command announced early Saturday the execution of a strike against a missile that the Houthis were preparing to launch from Yemen.

The U.S. Central Command stated that the Houthis had earlier on Friday launched a ballistic anti-ship missile into the Red Sea from Yemen.

The command wrote in a post on the X platform: On March 1, at around 12:40 PM Sana'a time, U.S. Central Command forces (CENTCOM) carried out a self-defense strike against an Iranian-backed Houthi surface-to-air missile that was ready to be launched from Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen towards the Red Sea. U.S. Central Command forces identified the missile and determined it posed an imminent threat to U.S. aircraft in the region.

It added: At 10:46 PM Sana'a time, the Houthis launched a ballistic anti-ship missile from Yemen towards the Red Sea. There was no impact or damage to any ship.

Days earlier, the United States confirmed that it destroyed three explosive-laden drones, two sea cruise missiles, and an explosive drone belonging to the Houthis in Yemen.

The U.S. military command stated that its forces "destroyed, as part of self-defense actions, three unmanned explosive boats, two mobile cruise anti-ship missiles, and an explosive attack drone."

It pointed out that these targets were destroyed as part of self-defense measures, as the boats, missiles, and drone were equipped for launch towards the Red Sea. The forces had observed these targets in Houthi-controlled areas in Yemen, considering them an imminent threat to commercial ships and U.S. Navy vessels in the region.

A U.S. official had reported that activists from Iran and Lebanese Hezbollah provide support inside Yemen to the Houthi rebels to carry out their attacks against international navigation.

The U.S. special envoy for Yemen, Tim Lenderking, told a Senate subcommittee that Iran “equips and facilitates” the Houthis’ attacks which prompted a military response from the United States and Britain.

Lenderking added, "Reliable open-source reports indicate that a large number of Iranian and Lebanese Hezbollah operatives support Houthi attacks from inside Yemen."

Since November 19, the Houthis have carried out attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and the Arabian Sea, linked to the Israeli occupation or headed to occupied Palestinian ports.

In December, Washington launched an international maritime coalition aimed at "protecting" maritime navigation in this strategic area through which 12% of global trade passes.

Since January 12, U.S. and British forces have carried out strikes on Houthi positions inside Yemen.