Sana'a, Yemen - The US once again attacked positions of the Houthi movement in Yemen early Thursday, the latest development in a Middle East downward spiral caused by Israel's war on Gaza.

It was the fourth time that the US attacked the rebels in the past week.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, that their forces "conducted strikes on 14 Iran-backed Houthi missiles that were loaded to be fired in Houthi controlled areas in Yemen."

"These strikes, along with other actions we have taken, will degrade the Houthi's capabilities to continue their reckless attacks on international and commercial shipping in the Red Sea, the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden," the post added.

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"The actions by the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists continue to endanger international mariners and disrupt the commercial shipping lanes in the Southern Red Sea and adjacent waterways," said General Michael Erik Kurilla, CENTCOM Commander.

"We will continue to take actions to protect the lives of innocent mariners and we will always protect our people."

The US military had previously announced that a combat drone launched in Yemen had hit a US freighter flying the flag of the Marshall Islands on Wednesday. According to the information, there was some damage but no injuries.

The US and UK, with the support of allies, already carried out a comprehensive military strikes against the Houthis last week in response to repeated attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea.

As President Joe Biden put the movement back on the list of global terrorists, Houthi attacks continued, motivated by demands for a ceasefire in and humanitarian aid for Gaza.

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Major shipping companies are increasingly avoiding the Red Sea, which is normally used for around 10% of global trade.

The Biden administration has staunchly refused to rein in Israel, which responded to the October 7 Hamas attacks by launching a devastating siege on the strip, killing more than 24,000 people – mostly civilians – and creating a humanitarian catastrophe.