US strikes Houthi anti-ship missiles, shipping disruptions grow

The U.S. launched new strikes against Houthi anti-ship missiles aimed at the Red Sea on Thursday, as growing tensions in the region’s sea lanes disrupted global trade and raised fears of supply bottlenecks that could reignite inflation.

The two anti-ship missiles targeted in the strikes were being prepared by Yemen’s Houthis for firing into the Red Sea and deemed “an imminent threat” to shipping and U.S. Navy vessels in the region, the U.S. military said.

Attacks by the Iran-allied Houthi militia on ships in and around the Red Sea since November have slowed trade between Asia and Europe and alarmed major powers in an escalation of the war between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants in Gaza.

In the second attack this week on a U.S.-operated vessel in the region, the Genco Picardy came under attack in the Gulf of Aden late on Wednesday, sparking a fire onboard and prompting the Indian Navy to rescue the crew.

Read more: Reuters