Washington, 20 January 2024 (dpa/MIA) - The United States once again attacked targets of the Iranian-backed Houthi militia in Yemen on Friday, said National Security Council's communications director John Kirby.

Houthi rebels were attacked again with anti-ship missiles, Kirby saidat a press conference at the White House on Friday. He emphasized that the attacks were in self-defence and were intended to help make shipping in the Red Sea safer.

US President Joe Biden had made it clear on Thursday that the US military would continue its attacks on Houthi positions.

The Houthi rebels' al-Masirah TV reported that there were two strikes on the Yemeni Red Sea port city of Hodeidah.

Later on Friday, the US Central Command (Centcom) said that at about 6:45 pm local time (2145 GMT) US forces "conducted strikes against three Houthi anti-ship missiles that were aimed into the Southern Red Sea and were prepared to launch."

Centcom said that US forces identified the missiles in Houthi-controlled areas and assessed they "presented an imminent threat to merchant vessels and the U.S. Navy ships in the region."

"U.S. forces subsequently struck and destroyed the missiles in self-defense. This action will make international waters safe and secure for U.S. navy vessels and merchant vessels, the command continued.

The US is responding to the repeated Houthi attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea.

Since the outbreak of the Gaza war on October 7, the Houthis, who control large parts of Yemen, have repeatedly attacked Israel with drones and missiles in support of Palestinians.

Most recently, they have also repeatedly attacked ships they say are affiliated with Israel or are heading to Israeli ports.

A Houthi official on Friday said vessels from China and Russia would continue to get a safe passage through the Red Sea, a major shipping route for the world trade.

"Maritime passage is safe for all the ships from all nationalities. For sure, the Russians and the Chinese are in the forefront, as they do not go to the Israeli enemy entity. For the rest of the countries, it is safe too," Nasreddin Amer told dpa.

"After the aggression on Yemen, the US and British ships have become on the list," he added.

Loyalists of Yemen's Houthis on Friday took to the streets to decry the recent military strikes led by the US.

Thousands of angry protesters converged on Al-Sabeen Square in the Houthi-ruled Yemeni capital Sana'a and chanted slogans against the US-British strikes, pro-Houthi al-Masirah television reported.

Protesters chanted slogans including "America, the mother of terrorism won't go unpunished" and "America is the greatest devil."

Earlier Friday, a similar rally took place in Saada, the militia's bastion in northern Yemen.

The rallies were held in response to a call from the group's leader Abdel-Malek al-Houthi, who on Thursday shrugged off the impact of the US-led attacks and said they would prod the group to develop their military capabilities.

In recent weeks, there have also been repeated protests in Yemen's Houthi-controlled areas to show solidarity with Palestinians.

Major shipping companies are increasingly avoiding the Red Sea route, which normally accounts for around 10% of global trade. The US and Great Britain responded to this last week with a comprehensive military strike on Houthi positions in Yemen.

On Wednesday, the US put the Houthi militia back on its terror list.