US Central Command (Centcom) said two missiles fired by the Houthi rebels toward the Red Sea and two towards the Gulf of Aden had caused no damage or injuries.

It said the strikes on the missiles and drones in Yemen were made “to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer” for US Navy and merchant vessels.

“It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and U.S. Navy ships in the region,” Centcom said late yesterday on social media platform X.

The Iran-backed Houthis have been attacking ships in the region since November in what they say is solidarity with Palestinians during Israel’s war against Hamas fighters in Gaza.

A UK maritime agency also said yesterday that the master of a vessel sailing southwest of the Yemeni port of Hudaydah had reported two missiles flying overheard and “heard two loud blasts in the distance”.

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said the ship reported no damage and that its crew was safe.

That followed a similar incident earlier yesterday when another vessel southeast of Aden reported an explosion astern that also caused no damage or injuries.

It was not immediately clear if the two incidents were those referred to in the Centcom statement.

The Houthi attacks have sent insurance costs spiralling for vessels plying the key trade route and prompted many shipping firms to take the far longer passage around the southern tip of Africa instead.

The US and the UK have launched repeated strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen in response but the attacks against what the rebels say are Israeli-linked ships have not been deterred.