And this is just in
the United States
has launched
new strikes against Iran backed
Houthi rebels in Yemen.
Officials telling CNN that they targeted
anti-ship ballistic missiles,
the same kinds of weapons
that Houthis have been using to attack
merchant and commercial navy ships
in the Red Sea for the past few months.
This is the third round of LED strikes
since Thursday night.
CNN's Oren
Liebermann is at the Pentagon
and has been tracking all of this or
and what are you learning about
this latest round of strikes?
Alex, it's crucial to note
that this is the first time
we've seen the U.S.
strike anti-ship ballistic missiles
before they were launched.
U.S.
Central Command says the Houthis
were preparing
to launch these anti-ship
ballistic missiles
on international shipping lanes
when they were struck, destroying them.
As you point out,
this is the third time we have seen
the U.S.
strike Yemen over the course of the past
several days.
Thursday night, D.C. time. Friday night.
And then the news coming
just a short time ago about this
latest round of strikes.
U.S.
National Security Adviser Jake
Sullivan warning there could be more
if the Houthis continue to launch
against international shipping lanes.
We did
not say when we launched our attacks
they're going to end once and for all.
The Houthis will be fully deterred.
We anticipated
the Houthis would continue to try
to hold this critical artery at risk.
And we continue to reserve the right
to take further action.
But this needs to be an all hands
on deck effort.
Several hours after the US strikes,
the Houthis did in fact, launch
another anti-ship ballistic missile
striking a Maltese flagged boat carrier.
Those are graphic.
So they retain the ability
to carry out strikes.
And it's also worth
noting that
within the course of the past day or two,
they also, in
what appears to be the first time,
struck a U.S.
owned and operated bulk carrier
In both cases, it was minor damage.
The ships were able to continue
on their way.
But first, Alex,
you see the threat that continues
to one of the world's
most critical waterways.
And second, I think you're very easily
see the possibility of further U.S.
strikes there and or the U.S.
Navy is now saying
that weapons were seized
that were heading
to the Houthis in Yemen Iranian weapons.
What more do we know about that?
Well, Alex, we have seen the U.S.
intercept shipments
of Iranian weapons to Yemen
in the past,
often on stateless dhows
or stateless small ships.
And this is what we're seeing here
once again
that occurred on January 11th,
according to the U.S. Central Command.
What's unique here
this time are the weapons
that were seized
according to CENTCOM,
they seized
components for anti-ship
ballistic missiles,
components for anti-ship cruise missiles.
These are the types of weapons
that the Houthis
have used to try to target
and to threaten
international shipping lanes.
So that in and of itself is significant.
But there were two Navy SEALs
that were part of this operation,
as well as a number of other assets.
But according to U.S.
officials,
those SEALs are currently missing.
And there is an ongoing search
now that has continued for five days.
U.S.
officials have spoken with us
previously have said this seizure
occurred in eight foot seas,
which is incredibly difficult condition.
One of the SEALs went into the water.
The other seal
by his training immediately
went after his
his colleague, the first seal.
And at this point, Alex, both
remain missing,
falling
into the water at
night in rough seas on Thursday.
Only been at the Pentagon.
Thank you very much.
Iran fired
a barrage of missiles
into northern Iraq on Monday.
A Kurdish news outlet
says missiles
fired by the Iranian
Revolutionary Guards
destroyed the home
of a Kurdish businessman
under the pretext
that it was used by Israeli spies.
Officials say at least four people
were killed in the city of Irbil.
Iran also fired
missiles at what it called
terror groups in northern Syria,
describing them as a security threat.
Meantime, U.S.
Central Command says the Navy, the U.S.
Navy seized Iranian made missiles
that were on route to Houthi militants.
In Yemen.
It happened
during a raid
off the coast of Somalia just last week
during the operation to Navy
SEALs went overboard
and those Navy SEALs are still missing.
As I speak,
we're also learning
who militants have claimed responsibility
for striking a cargo ship
owned
by the United States
in the Gulf of Aden on Monday.
They vow any future strikes on Yemen
will not go unanswered.
They are vowing to retaliate.
The Qatari prime
minister spoke
at the economic forum in Davos
about these healthy attacks.
Take a listen.
What we
have right
now in the
region is a recipe of escalation
everywhere. We shouldn't
just focus on on those small conflicts.
We should focus on the main
conflict in Russia.
And as soon as it's diffused,
I believe everything else
will be diffused.
We got word
that Iran launched
several missile
strikes in Kurdistan in northern Iraq.
Iran is saying that they were
attacking Israeli spy headquarters.
The US is calling these strikes
irresponsible, completely imprecise,
reckless.
What more do we know so far?
Well, absolutely.
And there is mounting concern
not just in the region,
but, of course, broader
and further afield
around the potential for the war
that we are seeing unfolding in Gaza
to escalate to spill over
into the region, and particularly
when it comes to Iran
and crucially, groups backed by Iran.
Last night's
attack has certainly raised concern,
according to media, in the
semi-autonomous region of northern Iraq.
At least
ten ballistic missiles were fired by
Iran across the area
surrounding the capital of Al-Bayda,
which for at least five of
which are reported
to have targeted the residence
of a Kurdish businessman.
And we have, of course,
heard from
the Iranian Revolutionary Guard,
which has claimed to have carried out
this missile attack, acknowledging this
in the early hours of Tuesday morning,
as you mentioned, Zain.
They say that they were targeting
what they've described and characterized
as the main espionage
headquarters for Israel's
intelligence agency, Mossad.
We have received a statement,
of course,
from Iran's foreign ministry
earlier today
saying that these attacks
were, in their words,
precise and targeted,
that they were focused on targeting
what they've described
as Iranian Israeli intelligence forces
charged with killing Iranian commandos,
carrying out attacks
against Iranian assets.
Of course,
we have reached out
to the Israeli authorities
for comment on this
We have also,
of course, in that same moment
seen attacks
carried out
by Iran targeting
locations in Syria as well.
Now, on that front,
the Iranian Revolutionary Guard
says that they were targeting
anti-Iran terror organizations,
namely in response to those twin blasts
we saw earlier this month
in the Iranian city of Kadmon.
Which, of course, killed
dozens of people
who had been paying their respects.
The slain Iranian
commander, Kassam Soleimani,
at his burial sites
on the fourth anniversary of his death
he was killed in a strike on Baghdad
International Airport,
ordered at the time by then U.S.
President Donald
Trump to there
has been concern for some time
now around the potential reaction
and response
we may see from Iran at the time,
of course, of those twin blasts
that was shortly claimed by ISIS.
Of course, though,
where we have been hearing the messaging
from Iran over
the last few days and weeks,
that has certainly raised
alarm bells
around the potential
for further responses
more broadly in the region.
And, of course, Iran backed
groups as well
You had to touch on interesting
talking about the situation in Yemen,
the Iran backed police,
but also crucially here in Lebanon
as well,
where we continue to see
CROSSFIRE on the southern border between
Iran backed Hezbollah
and Israeli forces along the border.