CENTCOM Forces and Coalition Down 15 Houthi Drones

The U.S. Central Command, CENTCOM, announced on its social media account on "X" that in the early hours of Friday, March 9, local time, a drone attack by "Iran-backed Houthi terrorists in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden" was thwarted by CENTCOM forces and coalition forces. CENTCOM stated that 15 kamikaze drones of this militia group were targeted, and U.S. Navy ships and aircraft, along with several coalition naval vessels and aircraft, took necessary actions to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer. General Michael Kurilla, commander of CENTCOM, said on Thursday, March 8, during a U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee meeting that the Islamic Republic has turned the Middle East into a "hotbed of crises" and that the key to deterrence is for "Tehran to understand that this behavior has serious consequences for it." Additionally, Houthi militants in Yemen, supported by the Islamic Republic, have repeatedly attacked international commercial ships in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea with missiles and drones since early October under the pretext of supporting Palestinians. President Joe Biden ordered on January 10 for military forces to lead a coalition of countries including Britain, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, and the Netherlands for the first round of airstrikes against Houthi positions in Yemen. The global coalition led by CENTCOM has attacked Houthi military positions several times. There were "two explosions" near a ship in the Gulf of Aden; the crew was unharmed. CENTCOM shot down four missiles and four drones from the Iran-backed Houthis. The White House reacted to the deaths of three crew members of a commercial ship, stating that countries around the world must prevent Houthi attacks. The U.S. has sanctioned a network supported by the Quds Force that is active in transporting goods for the Houthis.