A U.S. official said more than a dozen locations were targeted in strikes that were not just symbolic but intended to weaken the Houthis' military capabilities. The United States and allies had deployed a naval task force to the area in December, and the situation had escalated in recent days. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who is in hospital due to surgery complications, said in a statement that the strikes targeted Houthi drones, ballistic and cruise missiles, costal radar and air surveillance. The United States also accused Iran of being involved operationally in the Houthi attacks, providing the military capabilities and intelligence to carry them out. The United States has troops on the ground in Syria and Iraq, and has previously retaliated for attacks there by Iran-backed groups.

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Persons: Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Mohammed Ghobari WASHINGTON, Joe Biden, Houthis, Sanaa, Ali Ahmad, Mahmoud, James Heappey, Brent, Lloyd Austin, Tesla, Andreas Krieg, Andrew Mills, Maher Hatem, Jeff Mason, Kanishka Singh, Eric Beech, Peter Graff, Angus MacSwan Organizations: British, U.S, Hamas, U.S . Defense, Washington, King's College, United, West Bank Locations: ADEN, Yemen, Iran, Gaza, Sanaa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Hajjah governorate, United States, Israel, Europe, Asia, U.S, Britain, Africa, Germany, London . Saudi Arabia, U.N, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Washington, Doha, Dubai