WASHINGTON, Feb 22 (Reuters) – Yemen’s Houthis launched surface-to-air missiles at an American fighter jet and MQ-9 Reaper drone this week, but did not hit either, two U.S. officials told Reuters.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, did not specify if the attacks occurred over the Red Sea or Yemen itself.
One said the incidents could suggest the Houthis were improving their targeting capabilities.
Abdul Malik al-Houthi, who leads the Iran-backed group, said in a televised speech on Feb. 13 that the Houthis would intervene with missiles and drones and attack vessels in the Red Sea if the United States and Israel tried to remove Palestinians from Gaza by force.
UN Convoy Reportedly ‘Violently Attacked’ by Supporters of Iran-Backed Houthi Group
An Israel-Hamas ceasefire took effect in Gaza on January 19 but has appeared close to collapse recently amid mutual accusations of violations.
U.S. President Donald Trump has infuriated the Arab world with a plan to permanently displace Palestinians from Gaza and take over the enclave to turn it into a beach resort.
The Houthis have carried out more than 100 attacks on ships off Yemen since November 2023 in support of Gaza’s Palestinian militants fighting Israel, disrupting global shipping.
The Iran-aligned movement, which controls northern Yemen, has also frequently fired missiles at Israel over the past year in what it says is solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza, where the war began more than 16 months ago.
(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Writing by Patricia Zengerle; editing by Cynthia Osterman)
