US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it destroyed a Houthi drone and support vehicle in an area of Yemen under Houthi control.

The operation “in the past 24 hours” targeted Iranian-backed Houthi forces, whose capabilities were considered an “imminent threat” to the US and coalition forces, as well as commercial vessels operating in the area, CENTCOM said in a statement.

The statement stressed that the operation was conducted to secure international waters and maintain freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden — regions where Houthi forces target cargo ships linked to Israel, in a show of support for the Gaza Strip.