The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, that it had destroyed two radar sites belonging to the Houthi group, designated as a terrorist organization by the international community, and two unmanned boats in the Red Sea. CENTCOM stated that these targets "posed an imminent threat to the United States, coalition forces, and commercial vessels."

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter) seen by Barran Press, CENTCOM said: "Over the past 24 hours, US Central Command forces successfully destroyed two radar sites in a Houthi-controlled area in Yemen and two unmanned surface vessels (drones) in the Red Sea."

The statement continued: "The radar sites and unmanned boats were determined to be posing an imminent threat to US and coalition forces and commercial shipping in the region." It added that "these actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure."

On Monday, the Houthi group, internationally designated as a terrorist organization, announced that it had targeted four ships with ballistic and winged missiles, including an Israeli ship, an American ship, a British ship, and a fourth ship that "violated the ban on access to the ports of occupied Palestine."

Since last November, the Houthi group, internationally designated as a terrorist organization, has been launching missile and drone attacks on commercial cargo ships in the Red Sea, leading to increased maritime insurance costs and forcing many shipping companies to opt for the much longer route around the southern tip of the African continent.

In December 2023, the United States, Israel's main ally, formed a multinational coalition to protect maritime navigation from attacks by the group designated as a terrorist organization. Meanwhile, US forces have been carrying out strikes against Houthi military targets on an intermittent basis.