CENTCOM Destroys One Houthi Drone and One Unmanned Surface Vessel Supported by the Islamic Republic

The United States Central Command announced that on Wednesday, March 21, a coalition aircraft destroyed a Houthi drone and CENTCOM forces targeted an unmanned surface vessel of this Iran-supported group in the Red Sea. According to CENTCOM, these two weapons were launched at different times from areas controlled by 'Houthi terrorists' supported by the Iranian government, but they did not cause any casualties or damage to vessels present in the Red Sea. Houthi militants in Yemen, who are backed by the Islamic Republic, have repeatedly attacked international commercial vessels in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea with missiles and drones since early October of this year under the pretext of supporting the Palestinians. Many of these attacks have been thwarted by American forces or the coalition, and numerous bases of theirs inside Yemen have been targeted by independent or joint attacks from the U.S. military and other U.S. allies. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who is in the Middle East, stated on Wednesday, March 21, in an interview with the Saudi media outlet 'Al-Hadath': 'The Iranian government is the main supplier of weapons, intelligence, and technology for the Houthis, and we have asked them to control this group.' Blinken emphasized the detrimental impact of Houthi rebels' actions on global trade and economy, stating: 'I do not think that continued Iranian support for Houthi attacks is in Iran's interest, attacks that have been condemned by countries around the world, with Tehran recognized as responsible for these actions. I hope that Iranian officials will use their influence to end Houthi attacks.' The Biden administration, which had removed the Houthis from the list of terrorist organizations shortly after taking office in January 2021, placed this group back on the list of 'specially designated global terrorists' on February 16, 2023. The British Maritime Trade Operations agency reported an explosion near a commercial vessel in eastern Aden. CENTCOM: Houthi ballistic missile launches caused no damage or casualties. Palestinian sources: Senior Hamas and Houthi officials met to coordinate 'action against Israel.' Houthis launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles; CENTCOM: No damage or casualties reported.