NEW YORK, June 23. /TASS/. The US military has destroyed three uncrewed surface vessels (USV) of Yemen’s rebel Ansar Allah (Houthi) movement in the Red Sea, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on the X social network.

"In the past 24 hours, US Central Command (CENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed three Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed surface vessels (USV) in the Red Sea," the US military said.

It also reported that three ballistic missiles were launched from Houthi-controlled territories in Yemen towards the Gulf of Aden. No damage to vessels was reported.

After the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Gaza Strip, the Houthis warned that they would launch strikes on Israeli territory while barring ships associated with the Jewish state from passing through the waters of the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait until Tel Aviv ceased its military operation against Palestinian radical group Hamas in the embattled enclave. Since last November, the Houthis have attacked dozens of civilian vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

In response, the US and its allies launched Operation Prosperity Guardian aiming to ensure both the freedom of navigation and the safety of maritime traffic in the Red Sea. Subsequently, the armed forces of the United States and the United Kingdom began to deliver joint strikes on rebel-held positions in several Yemeni cities, using aircraft, warships and submarines, targeting Houthi missile sites, drones and radiolocation systems.