U.S. stealth bombers struck underground Houthi weapons sites in Yemen, Pentagon says

U.S. stealth bombers struck underground Houthi weapons sites located in Yemen, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.

The move was seen as an apparent warning to Iran. 

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Iran-backed Houthis, which are designated global terrorists, have "recklessly and unlawfully attacked U.S. and international vessels transiting the Red Sea, the Bab Al-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden" for more than a year. 

"The Houthis' illegal attacks continue to disrupt the free flow of international commerce, threaten environmental catastrophe, and put innocent civilian lives and U.S. and partner forces' lives at risk," Austin said in a statement. "At the direction of President Biden, I authorized these targeted strikes to further degrade the Houthis' capability to continue their destabilizing behavior and to protect and defend U.S. forces and personnel in one of the world's most critical waterways."