The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that it successfully destroyed a cruise missile in an area controlled by Houthi forces in Yemen, who are backed by Iran. CENTCOM stated in a press release: "At approximately 8:10 PM (Sana'a time) on May 23, U.S. Central Command forces successfully engaged a land-attack cruise missile (LACM) in an area controlled by Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen." The statement added, "The missile posed an imminent threat to the United States, coalition forces, and commercial shipping in the region," emphasizing that these actions are taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer for U.S., coalition, and commercial ships.
Houthi Statement
The Houthi group claimed to have launched attacks on three ships in the Red Sea, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Arabian Sea. However, the company operating the ship that the group alleged was targeted in the Mediterranean stated that there was no indication of such an incident. Yahya Saree, the military spokesperson for the Houthis, stated in a televised speech that the group’s forces targeted the ship "Yanis" in the Red Sea, the ship "Essex" in the Mediterranean, and the ship "MSC Alexandra" in the Arabian Sea. He added, "The missile forces targeted the Israeli ship 'Essex' with several missiles in the Mediterranean while it violated the entry ban into the ports of occupied Palestine." There was no clarification on when the attacks specifically took place. CENTCOM reported that the Houthis launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles in the Red Sea on May 23, but there were no reports of casualties or damage.
