U.S. forces destroyed a surface-to-air missile Wednesday before it was launched by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen.
But it doesn't appear to be part of President Joe Biden's plan to retaliate against Iran following the deaths of three U.S. soldiers in a drone strike Sunday in Jordan by Iranian-backed terrorists.
"Jan. 31 at approximately 3:30 p.m. [local time], USCENTCOM forces struck and destroyed a Houthi surface-to-air missile prepared to launch," U.S. Central Command posted on X. "U.S. forces identified the missile in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen and determined that it presented an imminent threat to U.S. aircraft."
The missile strike could be in retaliation for the Houthis firing an anti-ship cruise missile Tuesday toward the Red Sea. U.S. Central Command said in a news release the Navy destroyer USS Gravely shot down the missile in the Red Sea, and no injuries or damage were reported.
Navy warships in the Red Sea have shot down dozens of attack drones and missiles in the Middle East since Israel's war against Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists started in October. There have been more than 160 attacks on U.S. forces in Iraq and Syria since October, according to the Navy Times.
National Security Council spokesman John Kirby indicated during Wednesday's press briefing the U.S. has yet to initiate its response to the drone strike in Jordan that also injured 34.
"The president believes that it is important to respond in an appropriate way now that three American soldiers have been killed," he said. "What's appropriate? Well, it depends on what your response is going to look like and what you're going to go after.
"We will respond in a time and in a manner of our choosing on our schedule. Just because you haven't seen anything in the last 48 hours doesn't mean you're not going to see anything. When you see the first thing, don't come to be thinking that's going to be the last thing."
Michael Katz ✉
Michael Katz is a Newsmax reporter with more than 30 years of experience reporting and editing on news, culture, and politics.
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