The U.S. military has unleashed large-scale retaliatory strikes against multiple Houthi targets in Yemen following months of attacks by the Iranian-backed militants on commercial shipping in the Red Sea, a U.S. official said Thursday.
The official said that the strikes involved a mix of fighter jets and Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from Navy surface ships and a U.S. Navy submarine, according to two U.S. officials.
One of the officials identified the submarine as the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Florida, which was seen entering the Red Sea via the Suez Canal on Nov. 5, a move publicized by U.S. Central Command.
Another U.S. official confirmed that the United Kingdom also was using its military assets to launch strikes against Houthi targets.
In this file image, courtesy of Petty Officer 3rd Class Kallysta M Castillo/U.S. Navy, the guided-missile destroyer USS Laboon (DDG 58) fires a Tomahawk land attack missile at a target in Syria from the US 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility, April 14, 2018.
Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images, FILE
President Joe Biden, who had been under pressure to respond, but hoping to avoid risking wider Middle East conflict, issued a statement calling the move a “defensive action” after extensive warnings.
“Today, at my direction, U.S. military forces —