Yemen’s Houthi group launched two anti-ship ballistic missiles at a US-owned tanker ship on the night of January 18. US forces on January 18 conducted a fifth strike against Iranian-backed Houthi rebel military sites. The US Central Command said it destroyed two Houthi anti-ship missiles that “were aimed into the southern Red Sea and prepared to launch”. Meanwhile, US President Biden made a rare admission by acknowledging that strikes on Houthis have failed to halt the group’s attacks on Red Sea ships. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov slammed attacks on Yemen saying no one authorised the strikes by the US and the UK on the country.